


This Isn’t Immersion Therapy

by egg_godd



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, ethans bf is an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 46,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egg_godd/pseuds/egg_godd
Summary: After Ethan’s boyfriend of six months abandons him in a small town in Korea under the guise of teaching him the language and culture of the country through intense immersion therapy, the young man is left with only a few months in a run-down inn and no knowledge of how to get home.Mark is visiting his family, but opts to stay in a quaint inn when his mother’s house turns out to be too small to fit the crowd of people visiting. There, he meets Ethan, whose circumstances leave him reeling and he decides to save the young boy from his current situation.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor
Comments: 154
Kudos: 413





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> hey! this is my first story on here, and I’m super super nervous to post it, so please be nice :p
> 
> also, constructive criticism is VERY welcome and I would appreciate any opinions or thoughts on my writing!

Hello! I’m Egg, and after much deliberation, I’ve decided to post a fic on here! I’m really nervous about it because while I’ve written stories before, I’ve never had a lot of people read them. This idea came to me like yesterday and I just wanted to get a summary down and post an intro to this fic to motivate myself into writing and finishing this piece and also to see if anyone is actually interested in this idea.

If you would read this, please leave a comment because once I get into it there’s no stopping me lol 

Anyways, I’m writing the first chapter now, and I’m already really excited to see where this story goes once I start to set up context and backstories!

See you all soon!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! i reworked this chapter so much because i wanted it to be perfect lol I actually almost had it done then deleted the whole thing and wrote it completely different
> 
> anyways!! hope you enjoy! (i didn’t mean to use another M name for ethan’s boyfriend but it just happened lmao)

Sunlight streamed in through the window above Ethan’s head illuminating his pale skin as he stretched out his arms and threw the covers off. He savored the cool morning air drifting through the open window, which he had cracked last night to hear the cicadas buzz and crickets sing. Sitting upright, he lifted his sleep-leaden arms and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Reaching over to tap his phone, he read the time written in too-bright white: 7:31, much too early for his liking, so he layed back down, as he had nothing better to do considering his current circumstances. As he thought about that day anger bubbled to the surface of his mind, making it hard to drift back off to sleep. Frowning slightly, the young man rolled over and stuffed his face in the feather soft pillow, at least the accommodations are nice, he thought bitterly turning onto his side as drowsiness began to pull at his eyelids once again.

_“Babe?” Ethan called out from where he was lounging on the couch, having heard a dull thump followed by a string of expletives. The creaking of the floorboards suggested his boyfriend was coming from the bedroom, so Ethan shifted to allow the man some room to sit next to him on the loveseat._

_“Hey, Matthew,” Ethan smirked, knowing his boyfriend hated when the he used his full name. Matt scoffed in disgust but practically dove onto the couch next to Ethan, his dyed light blonde hair tickling the former’s chin as he giggled. “You know, you could always just say you want cuddles instead of dive-bombing me,” the brunette teased._

_Matt lifted his head, meeting Ethan’s gaze with_ _a joking frown, “Don’t lie, you love it.” Ethan rolled his eyes and pulled back from their snuggled position, his legs draped over Matt’s long legs, right arm wrapped around his broad shoulders, “Anyway, what did you want? You’re never in the mood to cuddle unless you want something.” Ethan said this in an endearing way, they both knew this not to be true, but the brunette could tell something was on the other’s mind. Ethan grinned and looked into the dark brown pools that always seemed to occupy his mind; Matt was everything to him, he couldn’t imagine life without his boyfriend. Instead of voicing what was on his mind, he waited patiently for his counterpart to answer, knowing if he interrupted it would get lost in Ethan’s rambling._

 _“I was going to keep this a secret til the very last minute but... I want you visit to my hometown with me. Just us. You can learn Korean and see all the things that I grew up with. That is.. if you’d want that.” He tacked the last sentence on awkwardly as if Ethan_ _wasn’t buzzing with excitement at the idea of getting to see his boyfriends childhood town and learn so many new things. “I would love that,” Ethan breathed, resting his head on Matt’s chest, listening to the soft sigh that leaves him and the thumping of his heartbeat, “When would we go?” The question hung in the air for just a second before Matt laughed, breaking the comfortable silence between them. “I already bought the tickets. The flight is the day after tomorrow.” He grinned as Ethan’s mouth opened in a perfect “o”._

_¥•¥_  
  


_Two days later they were at the airport, stuffed bags sitting between their feet as they sat at the terminal waiting for the plane to board. Ethan reached across the armrest of the chair and interlocked his fingers with Matt’s, successfully getting the latter’s attention. He had nothing to say, he had just wanted the blonde to look at him for a second. Their gazes lingered on each other before a woman’s voice came over the speaker, loudly announcing that their flight was boarding. “Ready?” Matt stood, offering a hand to Ethan in a mock-chivalrous sort of way. Ethan smiled, “As I’ll ever be.” This trip was going to be amazing_.

¥•¥  
  


_Twenty hours later, they landed in an airport about an hour away from Matt’s hometown, the bamboo capital of the world according to the cheap brochure the flight attendants had handed out at the beginning of the trip, although Ethan definitely doubted that, they probably just wanted more tourists to visit. Standing on shaky legs, Ethan and Matt made their way out of the plane and finally onto solid ground. That had been only the second time Ethan had ever been on a plane, and he couldn’t say he had ever gotten around to liking it yet_. 

_“Stay by me once we’re out of the airport, they don’t have any English translations on any of the signs once we get near my town because it’s so small that not many tourists go there, and most people around there speak Korean,” the blonde explained this to Ethan as they made their way to the taxi, having already gotten their bags immediately after exiting the plane, much to Ethan’s surprise._

_Sliding into the backseat of the taxi, Ethan turned to his lover excitedly, “I can’t wait for you show me everything! You’ll teach me Korean while we’re here right?” The brunette could hardly contain his smile as he beamed at the larger man beside him. With an odd look in his eye, Matt smiled and nodded, turning towards the window with no further comment. A little strange, sure, but Ethan assumed his uncharacteristic silence was because he was tired from the plane ride._

_Without Matt to talk to about the trip, Ethan’s mind wandered off thinking about all the amazing things Matt would show him and how beautiful the scenery was. Lush green trees sped by as the taxi carried them to their destination; he focused on the bump of the tires against the small rocks on the road and the smell of the fresh air (at least he did until Matt told him to roll up his window, claiming it was too windy). Not too far into the car ride, asphalt melted into hard packed dirt and gravel roads. The farther they got from the city, Ethan found the sky was bluer than he had ever seen and the grass lining the roads had to be at least two feet high. He smiled to himself, lost in thought about how glad he was that Matt cared enough about him to share his home town._

_Soon enough, the pair was shaken out of their sluggish, post-airplane ride state by the taxi stopping abruptly. The driver said something that Ethan couldn’t quite pick up, although he was quite certain the driver had spoken in Korean anyways, and Matt gestured for Ethan to climb out of the vehicle. As they stepped out the young man tried to chase a small frog into the grass but stopped when he caught sight of the building they had arrived at. Taking in the small inn they had stopped in front of, Ethan couldn’t help but beam; this was his boyfriend’s hometown! The brunette spun in a circle to take in the narrow dirt road that led to what looked like an open air market about a mile down the hill the inn sat on top of and the wide expanse of trees behind the old building in front of them. Matt smiled, that weird look still in his eyes, and took Ethan’s hand to lead him inside._

_A little wind chime sounded as they pushed the door open, warm air greeting them along with an even warmer smile from an old man with a hunched back and laugh lines. Matt greeted him and exchanged a few pleasantries, at least, that what Ethan assumed they did seeing as he was still deaf to the Korean language, hopefully that would change once he and Matt spent time together visiting his favorite childhood places. The young man mused over those thoughts as they made their way upstairs to a short hallway with four doors._

_“There’s only four rooms?” Walking in behind Matt, Ethan shut the door and set his bags down before turning to the other for confirmation. “Actually, there are three,” Matt huffed a laugh at Ethan’s surprised expression, “the fourth door is the shared bathroom. I did tell you this town is tiny.” the younger kept his surprised expression, of only to make a joke out of it, only dropping it when Matt suddenly hugged him, lingering awfully long before Ethan pulled back to look him in the eyes. Or rather, attempted to look him in the eyes, as Matt couldn’t seem to meet his gaze for longer than three seconds at a time._

_Wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, Ethan leaned in and gave the blonde a small, reassuring peck, “Hey, why are you acting so strange? You’ve been looking at me weird this whole time, you that tired from the plane ride?” Matt shook his head and gave what looked like a guilty smile, “_ You _must be tired from the plane ride, you’re imagining things.” A small part of Ethan wanted to argue, but the larger part of him agreed with his boyfriend, he must be imagining things, why would his boyfriend be looking at him like he was going off to war? They had just got to Korea, if anything they’d be spending more time than usual together. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Ethan busied himself with unpacking their bags into the small dressers provided, not missing how Matt moved his clothes to a different drawer, separating them from his own. Thinking nothing of it, the brunette suggested they go to the small market he had spotted on the way into the inn; Matt quickly agreed and they made their way out of the room and into the short hallway, stepping lightly down the creaky stairs, they all had a different pitched squeak, which made Ethan think of piano tiles, which in turn made him imagine himself and his boyfriend as tiny mice skipping down the large instrument, a loud giggle erupted from his lips as the idea tickled at his mind. He quickly stifled the noise, though, as he caught Matt’s annoyed glance. The man didn’t care for Ethan’s random outbursts of laughter stemming from his overactive brain, this Ethan had learned quite quickly in their relationship and had since tried to practice his “inner monologue” as Matt phrased it, claiming no one wanted to hear nonsense all day. So far, the brunette had only managed to stop voicing his random comments but had yet to stop himself from laughing out loud, after all,_ he _found the thought of them as tiny mice on a piano was pretty funny, but, as Matt often told him, he had a unique way of thinking. This was phrased as a compliment, but the older man always held a condescending tone in his voice when he said it, this didn’t bother Ethan much as he knew his boyfriend didn’t mean it, surely._

_They reached the bottom of the stairs and walked in long strides towards the door, not wanting to miss a single second of the sunlight left in the day. “Where are we going first, babe?” The question left Ethan’s lips just as they stepped out into the humid air. Linking their hands together, the brunette patiently waited for the other to respond. “Well, we’re going to the market, but on the way I’ll show you my old neighborhood, it’s right around this bend, you can’t quite see it from the inn.” The blonde explained, and indeed, as soon as the turned around the wide corner, a small collection of houses, neatly lined up with gardens and a small park near the front, faded into view. Letting go of Matt’s hand, Ethan sped up down the hill, following the curve of the road until he reached the bottom, panting slightly, “Come on! We’re gonna run outta daylight!” he grinned widely at his boyfriend who kept his leisurely pace, making his way towards Ethan in no rush._

_Passing the neighborhood, Ethan glanced at the few people dotting the road that branches off the one they were currently walking down. He saw one woman with a large white dog, he wanted to run up and pet it, but knew Matt wouldn’t approve, after all the older man hated dogs, stating that they smelled bad and were only good for drooling all over. Ethan had to put his beloved dog, Spencer, away whenever his boyfriend came over to his apartment, not wanting him to annoy Matt. Continuing on their way, they finally reached the market, the smell of savory food immediately made itself known and Ethan heard his stomach growl. Chuckling, Matt steered them to a stall that was near the entrance, ordering something, and receiving two small fish-shaped pastries each wrapped in crinkly white paper to keep their hands relatively clean. Biting into it, Ethan found that they were filled with a sweet bean paste, immediately he found himself devouring it, savoring every last bite._

_After a few minutes walking, Ethan realized that the market was very similar to a grocery store, only this one had different foods and was outside, which he appreciated much more than the sterile white floors of Walmart and local grocery stores. Looking at different fruits and vegetables like this didn’t feel like an errand, he didn’t feel constrained and cold like he did in the stores he usually shopped in; he felt the warm summer air on his skin and the soft breeze that would shift the small signs hanging from every vendor. Glancing at Matt, the young man found the other already staring at him. He blushed, wondering why he was paying so much attention to him when he should have been looking around and recalling memories from his childhood. “Do I have something on my face?” Ethan voiced his thoughts, albeit in a round-about way, wanting to know the answer to his musings. Smirking, Matt reached over and ran his hand through the smaller’s hair, mussing it up in the way he knew got the other quickly flustered. “Ah! Matt stop! Now I’m not gonna look cute for all the locals! They have to know you didn’t grow up to date a slob!” Half joking, half serious, though he would never admit it, Ethan was concerned about what his boyfriends childhood town thought of him. Was Matt embarrassed? Was Ethan insulting serious social norms by holding his boyfriends hand? By_ not _holding his hand enough? His thoughts swirled around in his mind, coming to an unexpected stop by a tug of his boyfriends hand._

_“Hey, it’s getting dark out, and I know we’re both tired from the plane ride, why don’t we go back to the inn and get to bed?” Matt’s voice was gentle and persuasive, urging Ethan to agree. The latter nodded, actually letting out a yawn at the thought of sleeping. “That would actually be great.” The brunette smiled, turning with his counterpart to begin the walk back to the inn._

_It was fully dark out by the time they got back, dragging their feet and climbing up the stairs as if they were being weighed down by leaden shoes. Sluggishly going through the motions of getting ready for bed: showering, changing, and, finally, collapsing into the soft bed that stood sturdily in the center of the wall adjacent to the bathroom. Turning off the lamp on the nightstand hugging the side of the bed, Ethan leaned over and draped himself over Matt’s already steadily breathing chest, knowing the other was deep in sleep, he closed his eyes to chase his lover into a dreamless sleep, eyes dragged down by the events of the day, mind already conjuring ideas of what tomorrow could hold, but Ethan couldn’t hear it, too far gone into the soft blanket of warmth that enveloped him._

_The first thing Ethan’s mind registered was the cool air that brushed against his chest. Whining a little, he rolled over in search of the warm body next to him, only to find cold sheets. Eyes snapping open, the young man frowned, sitting up, he could see the room was empty save for his suitcase in the corner and a note perched on the small dresser holding the tv. Cautiously sliding out of bed, Ethan crosses the floor to the folded piece of paper, it had been easy to spot in the barren room, void of any decorative charms. The young boy had a horrible feeling in his stomach as he opened the note, hands shaking as he read it:_ “Hey, you’re probably wondering where I am huh? Seeing as you usually wake up late, I’ll probably be on my flight already, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I didn’t want to tell you this in person, in case you got mad or were against the idea, but I’m leaving you in Korea for a while so you can learn Korean :) Have you ever heard of immersion therapy? It’s like that, you don’t even have to worry about the inn, I paid for it in advance along with room service ;) See you soon! Love, Your Matty <3” _Dropping the letter, Ethan scrambled to get a shirt on, sprinting downstairs, praying to God this was some sort of sick joke. Taking the stairs almost two at a time, he nearly trampled the owner as he barreled into the common area, “Please tell me where Matt is, he’s the guy I came here with! You’ve gotta tell me where he went! Please, I can’t stay here, I don’t know anyone! I don’t now how to get home and Matt knows my phone doesn’t work so I can’t call him—” He’s cut off by the old man’s hand resting on his shoulder, he shakes his head his expression screaming pity as he says something, probably reminding Ethan he doesn’t speak English, but the fact the young man couldn’t understand spoke volumes in of itself. Not even processing the tears falling down his face, he sped back upstairs, picking up his phone immediately, unsurprisingly, an automated voice reminded him his phone service didn’t reach this far, leaving him feeling more hopeless than before despite already having the knowledge his phone wouldn’t work, this concreted the information in his mind. He was ccompletly alone. Matt has left him here for immersion therapy knowing he would have to stay until the other came to collect him._

 _Suddenly, his knees gave out and he found himself sitting on the floor of the empty room, door still ajar, and bed unmade. He had never felt so helpless, so_ alone _. He doesn’t know how long he sat there until the owner gently shut the door, not wanting to disturb the boy when he was so obviously upset, he climbed into bed, feeling everything and nothing all at once. His chest felt tight and his head full of cotton, this couldn’t be real. His reality came crashing in on him and he started to sob, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion_.

Jolting upright, Ethan dragged air into his lungs as he looked around the room. He could still feel the sadness and betrayal he felt a week ago when he first found out what his boyfriend had done, only now, most of what he felt was anger. Anger at his boyfriend and anger at himself at allowing this to happen. How could he have not seen it? They had been dating six months and somehow Ethan had missed all the red flags. It was seemingly impossible, yet here he was, in some small town in Korea, halfway around the world from everything he knew.

Not wanting to start off his day on a not-so-positive note, the brunette shook his thoughts away from his body and stood up from the edge of the mattress. Stretching his lithe arms above his head he groaned as each vertebrae in his spine cracked. Maybe he should get that checked, but it was extremely satisfying, so how bad could it possibly be for him? Pulling on the only clean shirt he had left, he decided to bring down a load of laundry to the common area, hopin the owner could gather from his armload what he was looking for and point him in the right direction. Grabbing a trash bag from his suitcase that he originally intended to use for dirty clothes anyways, he began to stuff all the dirty laundry that had accumulated over the past week and a half. Satisfied that he had found everything from where it had been haphazardly shrewn around the room, he made his way out the door. As he walked the short distance on the hallway, he took note of the shuffling sounds coming from behind the door across the hall from his own room, apparently there was another guest at the inn. Humming slightly, Ethan climbed down the stairs and stepped into the common area. Quickly spotting the owner sitting in an armchair reading a newspaper, he shyly approached him, both already used to the nonverbal communication they were forced to use, and smiled softly. Shifting the laundry in his arms, he opened the bag slightly and showed the old man what was inside. He understood immediately, not that it wasn’t obvious, and pointed him towards a door that stood slightly ajar across the room. Smiling in thanks, Ethan made his way across the carpeted floor and into the laundry room. Seeing a simple washer and dryer, he quickly went to work putting his clothes in the machine. 

Today wasn’t going to be like the past few weeks. Instead, today the young man was planning on visiting the market again, maybe even walking around the small neighborhood he had passed the first time. Sighing contently as he hit start on the washer, he pictured what he could do and wondered if he should introduce himself to his new neighbor. After all, he was going to be here a while as far as he could tell, he may as well meet some new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did i do? i really hope this wasn’t horrible!! i’m super nervous but all feedback is REALLY appreciated PLEASE give me feedback lmao i’m striving to improve on anything and everything!
> 
> p.s. last thing i promise, was this chapter long enough?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone asked if i was gonna do a POV for mark, and i thought about it, but i don’t think i could get his character across exactly how i want to, and since this is my first fic i don’t want to go too crazy with it and push my abilities lol. so, sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy this chapter anways!

The washing machine clunked as his clothes rolled around inside. Ethan watched through the small window in the front, designed only for that purpose he just now realized, although it might seem obvious to others, he had never really thought of it like that. He assumed most people enjoyed watching their laundry tumble around in soapy water as elementary as it sounded, humans had the habit of inventing things for small pleasures like the feeling of content watching the simple circle of the wash cycle. Sighing for what seemed like the millionth time that day, as early as it was, Ethan found himself already bored in the tiny room, nothing to occupy his mind save for the newspapers stacked on a short table in the corner. Not that he could read them anyways. The young man spent a few more minutes debating whether it would be acceptable to leave his load going while he stepped into the lobby for some breakfast. He assumed it would be fine, but what if he came across as rude? Surely Matt wouldn’t approve— Ethan was snapped from his thoughts by a spike of anger spearing his chest. Fuck it, now he was going to go out there just _because_ he knew Matt wouldn’t like it.

Quickly stepping out of the room, Ethan nearly ran into the stranger doing just the opposite. “Wah— sorry! First day here and I’m already running people over!” Ethan leaned back slightly to take in the man as he spoke, eyes gliding over dark hair, even darker piercing eyes, and a muscular chest, the brunette blushed, discovering that he was just checking the man out instead of apologizing. 

“Sorry! I should’ve been looking where I was going! Also I have a load of laundry going in there, sorry if that’s what you came down for... did you just speak English?” Disregarding the fact that he may have been coming off as rude, Ethan stared intently into the eyes of the stranger, waiting impatiently for an answer.

”Yeah? Just ‘cause we’re in Korea doesn’t mean I wouldn’t understand English? Something wrong..?” the stranger shifted on his feet, taking in Ethan’s small form and, frankly, embarrassing attire. He had come downstairs in just joggers and an oversized hoodie, not expecting to see anyone but the owner, not even bothering to finger-comb his hair.

”No! No problem! I haven’t been able to speak to someone in just over a week! This is amazing, I have so many questions, you wouldn’t believe how lost I am—” the brunette cut himself off, realizing his rambling and flushing a light pink, “Sorry, I just.. can we talk sometime? I really do have a lot of questions...” Trailing off with a shy expression, Ethan glanced up at the stranger, realizing he had been silent for a good minute.

”I...” the dark haired man seemed to lose his train of thought as Ethan stared up at him, “Uh- yeah sure, man. Usually people aren’t that forward when they ask someone out, so I was a little off my game,” he chuckled slightly, “Anyway, what did you have in mind? I’d love to take you out.”

Face flushing a violent shade of red, Ethan nearly tripped over himself trying to clarify what he meant. God, the guy _was_ cute and the young man was definitely _not_ with Matt anymore, but that wasn’t how he wanted to start of talking to this guy, who might be his only ticket out of here. “No wait- uhm.. I didn’t mean like a date,” he faltered at the guy’s crestfallen expression, “Not that I wouldn’t want to go on a date with you! It’s just, I’m in a tight spot right now, I just wanted to get some answers and I didn’t want to just bombard you with questions after running into you..” He finished his sentence abruptly, noticing the wide smile the stranger was wearing.

Holding out his hand, the man grinned and spoke, “Yeah, I’d be happy to answer your questions. I’m Mark by the way.”

Blushing and internally cursing himself for making the situation awkward, Matt always did tell him he had horrible people skills, and took Mark’s hand in a firm handshake, “You have no idea how happy I am that I met you. I’m Ethan.” Smiling, he released Mark’s hand and cocked his head in question, “Want to meet me down here in like an hour and we can sit down and maybe have breakfast, we’ll uh, brunch more like.” 

Mark nodded and turned, seemingly forgetting what he had come down for in the first place, and made his way up the stairs, presumably back to his room. Letting out a breath of relief, Ethan pivoted back towards the laundry room, catching the owner sporting a smirk, whatever that was for, and stepped back into the small, slightly humid room. Finally, his visit had turned around for the better, he actually had hope of getting out of this.

¥•¥  
  


Lopsidedly carrying his freshly folded clothes, Ethan pried the door to the laundry room open with his foot, carefully walking across the common area and lightly stepping up the stairs, finally making it to his room where he placed the teetering pile onto his bed, he thanked whatever God was up there that he managed to complete the journey in one trip, however trivial the accomplishment, and smiled in victory. Only bathing in his glory for a few more seconds, he began packing his clothes back into the dresser, feeling a twinge of anger-saddness at the sight of the empty drawers that once held Matt’s belongings.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ethan glanced at the door leading to the hallway. Had it been an hour? Was Mark waiting on him? He didn’t want to be the first one down, but also didn’t want to look like an asshole making the man wait.

Promptly making the decision to just go downstairs, maybe pretend he was looking around or just coming back from doing something if he ended up being too early, Ethan made the short trip to the common area downstairs. Immediately recognizing the head of dark hair, the brunette cautiously stepped over to the older man, well, Ethan assumed he was older, with how he carried himself and his intelligent aura. Mark was reading a book in Korean, obviously lost to the world the author had painted in his mind. Feeling almost guilty, Ethan cleared his throat and broke the comfortable silence that blanketed the room, “Hey, sorry if I’m late, I just finished putting my clothes away.” He smiled in what he hoped was a friendly, and not awkward, way. Matt has hated when Ethan interrupted him, always getting mad and yelling at the younger boy, so to say Ethan felt guilty at intruding on Mark’s personal time was an understatement.

Contrary to what the brunette expected, though, Mark lifted his head with a gentle smile, setting his book aside and gesturing to the chair across from his at the small table. “No need to be sorry, I was down here reading, not waiting on you. Don’t get your hopes up, I don’t think you’re _that_ cute.” The teasing tone he used made Ethan’s worries disintegrate, the other man wasn’t upset with his interruption and still wanted to talk.

Feeling much more confident, Ethan slid into the chair in question, “You can’t fool me, I know you were just waiting to feast your eyes on _this_ beauty again.” He enunciated the meaning, albeit jokingly, with a “sexy” toss of his hair and puffing of his chest. Talking with Mark was surprisingly easy, Ethan looked forward to spending more time talking to him.

”So,” Mark started, “What oh-so-important questions did you have for me? Surely this wasn’t a ploy to stare at my sexy face for longer.” He accented his words with a playful smolder, not realizing how attractive it made the other realize he was.

Glancing away swiftly, Ethan cleared his throat, unprepared for the shift in mood the conversation was going to take after he asked his questions. However, he needed them answered, and Mark was his only chance. 

“I actually do have a few serious questions,” Ethan looked at the man’s strong hands, resting on the table, in an attempt to collect his thoughts, “What town—uh, city—no, I was right, town, is this and how far away is the nearest airport? Or bus station? Or taxi? And do you have any way to contact someone in the US? Or a way I could mail someone?” The questions were jumbled, barely making sense without context, Ethan realized. Quickly trying to explain the situation wasn’t in his original plan, but without them, his questions didn’t make logical sense. Why wouldn’t he know what town he was in or how far away the nearest airport was? He wasn’t from here, so how had he gotten here without knowing any details? Saying he blindly trusted his asshole boyfriend wasn’t much of an explanation, and he felt Mark deserved a more thourough story.

“Sorry, I probably sound crazy..” Mark looked unsure of how to answer, obviously agreeing, but not wanting to be rude. “You don’t sound _crazy_ , per say, just lost. How did you get here if you don’t know what town this is? Or where the nearest airport is?” The questions seemed to be pulled right from Ethan’s mind, Mark was right, of course, what sensible person would go somewhere without asking the name of the town or any other details of the trip?   
  


“Well, I’m dating this guy named Matt... I don’t even know if we’re still dating...” Pausing to sigh and pick at the old wood he was resting his arms on, “He asked me to come to Korea with him..”

¥•¥  
  


About an hour later, after many tangents and short rants about how angry Ethan was, Mark looked about ready to either cuss someone out or shit himself, but Ethan was pretty sure it was the first one.

Finally breaking the heavy silence, the man decided, “What the _fuck_?” Snorting, Ethan tried to hold in his laughter, but soon it overtook him and he was gasping for air, lungs aching and stomach screaming in protest of the violent spasms his diaphragm was making. He couldn’t help it, the response had been so perfect yet so understated that he had to laugh. “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” Still smiling lightly, Ethan chanced a look up at Mark, who wasn’t nearly as amused to say the least. This sobered the young boy up rather quickly.

”I know that wasn’t probably the best response, but it’s all I can think of.. you’re not seriously still dating this guy right??” The question stopped Ethan’s thoughts to stop in their tracks. He _was_ still dating Matt, he hadn’t even thought of how he would break up, or even if he _would_. An accusatory tone and harsh stare caused Ethan to flush in shame. “I mean.. technically yeah. I haven’t been able to call and break up, but honestly I don’t even know what I’d say. How do I tell him how absolutely destroyed I was when he left and still keep my dignity?” 

If Mark was a dog, his hackles would’ve raised, he looked so mad, Ethan almost felt scared himself. “Tell that son of a bitch that you’re leaving him, as you _should_ , because what kind of _asshole_ leaves his _boyfriend_ in a different country where he knows he can’t survive on his own, forcing him to rely on you until you deem him ready to pick up like some... some—“ he cuts himself off, catching Ethan’s worried stare, “Sorry, he’s just _such_ a d-bag.”

”You’re making me think I should maybe be more mad about this than I am..” The sentence comes so quietly out of Ethan’s mouth that Mark almost doesn’t catch it, “If I were you I would’ve torn this place to the ground.” The brunette felt slightly... not uncomfortable, but actually comforted by the fact Mark cared. The man he’d met just this morning seemed to care more about him than his own boyfriend, no, _ex_ -boyfriend. He had just one more question for Mark.

”Can I use your phone? I need to call someone.”

Marks knowing smirk turned into an almost proud smile as he handed over his phone, he was glad Ethan didn’t ask him to leave. This was a conversation the man wanted to hear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of a weird end I think but i just got back from a thirteen hour shift and I’m dead tired but i wanted to get this chapter out because it’s been a few days
> 
> anyways, please tell me how you liked this chapter (i live off feedback lol sorry) and maybe what you’d like to see in future chapters :p
> 
> ALSO thanks to all the people who’ve read this fic!! it’s way more than i thought it would ever get tbh, so thanks so much, the fact that people are actually interested is really inspiring!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! sorry for the long break, but i had a lot of thinking to do and so many new ideas for future works flew into my head! i’m thinking of doing a business au one shot (just smut, i’ve lost all self control) and a few others
> 
> anyway, hope you like this chapter!

The two men stared at the phone resting in Ethan’s hand. The younger had yet to push the green ‘call’ button, nervously chewing his lip, thoughts going a mile a minute through his head. “What if he doesn’t pick up? What if i chicken out and can’t say the right things?” His green eyes search Mark’s for reassurance, his chest filled with a spiky ball of anxiety, rolling around and poking his heart and lungs.

The other man smiled comfortingly, “You’ll know what to say, trust me, once he picks up, I’m sure the right words will come to you. I don’t know anything about your relationship with him, but I do know that what he did, what he _continuing to do_ by leaving you here, is not okay.” Placing a gentle hand on Ethan’s wrist, he gestured at the phone, signaling the brunette to finally take the dive and call his boyfriend.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ethan quickly tapped the green icon on the screen, bringing the device to his ear to listen to the dull ringing sounds, waiting for his boyfriend to send him to voicemail. Surprisingly, after only two rings, Ethan heard a click, then his counterpart’s voice filled his senses, “Ethan, baby! You called! That must mean you were able to communicate with someone over there! I knew you could do it, beautiful.” He sounded ecstatic, like he expected the other man to excitedly agree that he had managed to contact Matt in a rather short amount of time. 

Anger surged through the brunette’s chest, almost suffocating him, his hands hurt with the amount of blood his heart was pumping through his body, no one else in the room mattered anymore, Ethan just needed to funnel his fury into breaking up with Matt, separating himself from the honestly delusional man.

”You motherfucker, don’t act like you’re all happy to hear my voice,” the boy’s voice seethed with hostility, venom dripping from every syllable, “Do you have any idea what you put me through? You left me in this tiny inn in God knows what town, in a different fucking _country_. You can’t honestly believe I’d want to still see you, let alone hear your voice.” There was a pause, then shuffling on the other end of the phone, opening his mouth to continue, Ethan was cut off by his boyfriend— no, _ex_ -boyfriend’s— angry voice, the brunette flinched, never comfortable when the other was mad, seeing as sometimes he would get explosive, throwing things and cussing loudly.

”There’s no need to be a little bitch about this, Ethan. I did something nice for you, which I _didn’t need to do_ by the way, by paying for you to visit Korea, in my _hometown_ , and you repay me by calling me two weeks later and bitching about it. Unbelievable. This is why I never do nice things for you, you just don’t appreciate it.” Unable to let the man continue, Ethan blurted his next words out, indescribably angry with his ex.

”You didn’t do something nice for me! You _left_ me, by myself, in a country you knew I couldn’t communicate in, to what? Teach me Korean? Teach me how beautiful the country is from the view of a small-ass inn on top of a hill? This is bullshit, Matt! If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t have left me here! You would’ve spent the time with me to teach me about your hometown and the language, but you didn’t. You left because you didn’t want to deal with teaching me yourself and because you have this fucked illusion in your mind that I would welcome you with open arms after this.” Breathing heavily, eyed filled with unshed tears, Ethan glanced at Mark, fully aware he could hear both ends on the conversation with how loud the two were being, but was surprised when he saw Mark looked almost as mad as he felt. He was jolted from his observations by Matt’s loud voice, screaming at him once again. 

“No shit I didn’t want to deal with teaching you Korean. You’re so fucking stupid, you can’t even speak English right, half the time I can’t even understand what you’re saying. It’s embarrassing, frankly. I don’t want to hear how your feelings are hurt because you’re too fucking stupid to learn Korean, and I hope you don’t expect me to feel sorry for your miserable ass when you can’t handle everyday life.” The blonde’s breathing was loud over the speaker. The tears brimming Ethan’s eyes finally fell, leaving shiny tracks down his cheeks, dripping onto the wooden table under him.

Taking a deep breath to steady his voice, the brunette replied in a stoic voice, “You’re an asshole, Matt. This isn’t everyday life, you sick fuck. You put me in this situation and I hope you know we’re over, I never want to see you again.” His words were somehow calm, despite the turmoil taking place in Ethan’s mind. Not having the strength to hang up, he waited for Matt’s reply.

It came not a second late, “Have fun being homeless then, you bitch. I’m cancelling your stay at the inn and the ticket back home I paid for, maybe you can make yourself useful and sell yourself on the streets. Your body is the only redeeming part of you anyway.” His harsh laugh echoed as he hung up on Ethan, leaving the brunette feeling out of control, like he had been the one broken up with, Matt always did have a way of winning arguments. 

He startled when he felt warm arms around him. Glancing up through eyes hazy from tears, he saw Mark, who was staring down at him like he was a puppy who was left in a dumpster. In a way, Ethan felt like he was. Letting out a gentle sob, he fell into Mark’s arms, shaking with the force of his crying, unable to feel anything but the grief of not only loosing his boyfriend, but also the little hope he had of getting out of this.

However long later, it felt like hours, Ethan lifted his head from Mark’s shoulder, “Sorry... I got your shirt all gross...” Guilty eyes searched the other man’s face for any sign of disgust but only found pity and a trace of something else, probably anger, Ethan thought.

Standing up, had he been kneeling the entire time just to comfort Ethan? Mark offered his hand to the trembling boy in front of him, “Why don’t we go upstairs and you can get some rest? You probably would feel better after some sleep and maybe a little tea?” It was phrased as a question but left Ethan no room for argument, already exhausted from bawling for so long. Lips quirking up in a shadow of a smile, Ethan took the man’s hand, letting him lead him upstairs and into his room, suddenly, the younger stopped, pulling Mark’s arm slightly with the abrupt halt, “Matt said he was going to cancel my room payment.” The words were soft, barely a whisper, but Mark heard them. 

“Don’t worry about that now, you need rest, Ill talk to the owner and see what we can do.” Nodding Ethan stepped into the room he had called home for the past two weeks, taking in the jacket he had hanging on a bedpost, and the clutter of toiletries on the small dresser, quickly piled there for easy access when he had to grab them to go to the bathroom down the hall. Too tired to think any more, he shuffled over to the bed and stuffed himself under the warm duvet, sleep coming faster than it had his whole visit.

¥•¥  
  


Waking up was less than enjoyable, his situation crashing back into him once again, leaving him with a lingering cloud of anxiety hovering over his head. Stretching his sore muscles, he dragged himself into a sitting position, head pounding. _Fuck_. He was going to have to go downstairs and see what agreement the owner and Mark had come to on his stay at the inn. Groaning slightly, he kicked the duvet off his legs and stood, stalking towards the door like Lucifer himself was on the other side.

Swinging the door open, he nearly screamed at the sight in front of him. Mark, one hand raised in a fist, and a nervous look on his face. “I swear I was about to knock.” The words fell out of his mouth dumbly, making Ethan giggle despite himself, “And I was about to come downstairs to see what agreement you came to with the owner.” At that, the careful smile on Mark’s face dropped, leaving a sad expression on his admittedly handsome face.

”He wanted to speak to you in person, obviously I’m going to translate but he thought it would be best to talk face to face instead of the message getting lost between you two with me as the messenger.” The line was jokingly self-deprecating, lifting Ethan’s spirits just that much more, the older man just had that effect on him, making him smile despite current standings.

Nodding, Ethan gently pushed past Mark, leading the way down the stairs with the older man following not far behind. Once they reached the bottom, the brunette could see the old man waiting in the sitting area, sipping a small cup of what looked like tea, patiently waiting for the younger man. Hurrying his pace a little, not wanting the old man to wait for any longer, he sat softly on the plush loveseat across from the owner’s. “Hi,” he smiled nervously, Mark taking a seat right next to him.

Smiling, the man began speaking, pausing every so often to allow Mark to translate, in a nutshell, the owner told Ethan he wouldn’t be able to let him stay in his room, as other patrons would need the room ready as soon as walked in, and he couldn’t have Ethan staying in a possible living space. Although this made sense to the boy, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated with the old man, where was he going to stay? He had no money, no way to talk to anyone— “But I was wondering if you would be okay with staying in my room, until we can get you home that is.” Ethan looked up at the sound of Mark speaking, not missing how he used ‘we’ like he planned on actually helping the other get home. The thought sat warmly in Ethan’s chest, a comforting sensation contrasting the sharp anxiety persistently squeezing his heart.

It took a second for Ethan to process what Mark had said, “Wait... you’d let me stay with you? Are you sure? We barely know each other...” The man in question quickly raised his hands in a placating manner, “You don’t have to of course! I could pay for your room, I just thought it would be easier and all—” He was cut off by a short giggle erupting from Ethan’s chest, the latter quickly attempting to stifle the noise.

”Sorry, sorry,” another giggle, “I just can’t believe you’d do that for me! It’s so nice, I would never ask you to pay for my room though! If you don’t mind, could I stay with you until I can get home?” the brunette was blushing furiously, although he couldn’t quite place why. Probably the intense look Mark was giving him when he was waiting for his verdict, his dark eyes hiding something Ethan couldn’t decipher.

Grinning, Mark spoke with unexpected enthusiasm, “Great! I mean, great that you’re staying, or uh, you know, not _with_ me cause that’d be weird for me to say great to, but great cause, you’re staying in general, and- you know what, let’s get your stuff moved to my room.” His face gave away his embarrassment, a light dusting of pink Ethan almost couldn’t pick up on his tan skin. 

Thanking the owner, who assured them he would still be making food for the both of them, they trapsed back up the stairs, making polite conversation, Ethan thanking Mark profusely every few sentences, hoping he wasn’t being annoying, “Sorry if I’m being annoying and rambling, but I’m just really grateful for you letting me stay with you.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, why would you thanking me be annoying? Just grab your stuff and I’ll let you take the first shower.” He turned into his room, now _their_ room, leaving the door slightly ajar to let the other know to just walk in when he got back with his belongings.

As he collected his things from varying places around the soon-to-be-empty space, Ethan thought of Matt, how he wouldn’t see him when he got back, save for grabbing his stuff from the other’s place assuming he was decent enough to not trash it. And also of how grateful he was for Mark and everything he did, it was almost as if anything the older man did was for the benefit of someone else. Even though the man had reassured him and comforted him while he was crying, that night in the shower, Ethan couldn’t help but remember Matt’s vile words: _your body is the only redeeming part of you anyway._

Ethan let the tears wash over him, this time in private, mourning the six months he spent with Matt, regardless of how he treated him, the brunette really did love him. Now he’d have to let that part of his life, and himself, go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wanted to get across how much of an asshole Matt is in this one. different aspects of his and ethan’s relationship will be revealed later on, but i did want to include Matt’s explosive anger, and how quick he is to insult ethan, despite claiming to love him.
> 
> anyways, hopefully this isn’t too incoherent and that no ones super mad about the long break :,)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn’t die i promise!! schools starting in a few days so i’ve been getting ready for that and work is also time consuming lol ANYWAYS hope you enjoy this chapter, i feel like i always write these at like one in the morning 😭

Ethan let out a shuddering sigh, letting the warm water cascade down his shoulders, hugging the light outline of his abs, and finally running off his toes into the drain. The day had been harrowing and he barely remembered any of it. He had woken up and done laundry, then he ran into mark, one thing after the other and then the phone call... not to mention the fit of tears that overtook him after said phone call, he was just exhausted. Somehow the whole day had slipped between his fingertips, leaving him feeling out of control and even worse than before. What seemed like never ending years leaked down his cheeks, giving wake to red eyes and a runny nose. He eventually reached over to his toiletries bag and shifted through, searching for his shampoo, getting everything in the small bag wet, but he was too miserable to care.

Lathering the soap in his hands, he ran his fingers through his messy locks, tugging at knots and scrubbing his scalp like it would rid his head of all the nasty thoughts. As he washed the suds out, he picked up his washcloth and began the process of working it over his skin, trying his best to focus on getting clean and not on his lingering thoughts about Matt and home... _shit_ , Spencer. Sure he was with his best friend Mika, but they didn’t even know about his predicament, Mika probably thought he was having the time of his life in Korea spending time with his beloved boyfriend. The stress of these thoughts only piled on to the growing tension behind his eyes, probably resulting from dehydration and exhaustion. He should probably get out, but the idea of leaving the warmth embrace of the water was almost unthinkable. 

Ethan stayed under the spray of the water until his hands were pruny, not even thinking that Mark might irritated with him for taking ages in the bathroom. The guilt that spiked in his chest at the thought is was finally urged him to step out of the shower and turn the nobbs off, watching what was left of the water funnel down into the slow drain. How could he have stayed in the bathroom for so long when he knew Mark was waiting for him? _You’re so selfish_ , Matt’s words echo in his head, the brunette couldn’t even remember what he had done to make the other mad at the time, but he couldn’t help but agree with him now. Making a mental note to apologize to Mark once he got to the room, he quickly dried himself off, not wanting to waste any time in getting out of the bathroom. He slipped on his loose joggers and a soft shirt, collected his clothes from the day, grabbed his toiletries bag, and walked the short distance to Mark’s room.

Knocking lightly, although he knew Mark had left the door slightly ajar so Ethan could just walk in, the latter had never felt comfortable entering anywhere without announcing his presence or receiving definitive permission, he entered the small room, waving awkwardly as Mark got up, shampoo and body wash in his hands, “Hey, thought you might’ve slipped in there, is everything ok?” He had obviously noticed Ethan’s puffy red eyes and equally red nose. The brunette flushed, “Y-yeah, sorry I took so long, I just got caught up in my thoughts, and I got upset again, stupid excuse, I know, I hope you don’t think I’m really that selfish...” he trailed off, eyes searching Mark’s for the irritation he anticipated, but only saw pity and tenderness.

”Hey man, you’re _not_ selfish for taking a moment to yourself in there. You just went through a rough breakup, not to mention your current situation, I’m shocked you came out when you did. Stop apologizing for doing nothing wrong, you’re fine.” He concluded with a soft smile and turned out the door presumably to take his own shower.

Ethan’s _sorry_ in response to Mark died in his throat as he watched the other walk away. Maybe he _did_ deserve that time in the shower, he was still pretty upset over the things Matt had said to him over the phone. His ex-boyfriend had told him many things over the past six months. Perhaps he should mull over them and stop taking them at face value. He was so used to just agreeing with Matt, though, that it was difficult to reason in his mind what was justified and what actually deserved criticism from Matt. Many times over, the blonde had told him he was annoying when he rambled, saying he was much more enjoyable to just spend time with in comfortable silence, which, looking back, just seems like a less asshole-y way to say shut up. To top it off, Matt was always talking about his day, so why had Ethan stopped his excited rants about dogs and whether mushroom farms were ethical or not? It’s not like Matt ever compromised. The more Ethan thinks about it, the more anger and embarrassment he feels bubble to the surface of his mind, how naive he was to blindly trust Matt to always make the right decisions.

Placing the small bag he was still clutching on Mark’s floor, he turned the lamp on the bedside table off and climbed under the downy-soft covers on the bed. Was this ok? Would it be weird for Ethan to go to sleep while Mark was still in the shower? His mind supplied endless questions and concerns about what he was doing and how he was doing them, draining the remaining energy from his bones and making him feel as though his spirit was clinging desperately to his body, struggling to stay, and Ethan wasn’t even helping. He felt out of control, like he couldn’t differentiate between his thoughts and what he knew he should be thinking. He slipped from deep sadness, to spiking anxiety, to empty numbness every few seconds. It felt like his brain was consciously trying to make him feel like shit. 

_“Ethan!_ Ethan!” _The_ _blonde’s shouts rattled the skinny, cheap picture frames on the walls, making the boy in question jump in fright, “Matt, I’m coming, I just need to-“ he was cut off by loud steps ascending the stairs of the apartment, stopping outside the bathroom door, letting a single beat of silence fall, before the door was wrenched open._

 _”What the fuck is taking so long? I said we were leaving like thirty minutes ago, it’s just a trip to the grocery store to get ice cream for your stupid movie night,_ let’s go. _” The man leaned against the doorframe impatiently, rolling his eyes as he listened to Ethan try to explain what he was doing, “Babe, I just wanted to look nice, y’know for the night in... I’m sorry I should’ve just gone downstairs when you asked...” He looked nervously at Matt, twisting his hands and biting his lip, hoping the other would understand. Honestly, Ethan had thought the other would appreciate the extra effort he put into his outfit and how he had actually styled his hair instead of finger-combing it, but the blonde had gotten mad instead. Ethan understood, of course, in hindsight he should’ve just gone downstairs when his boyfriend first called him down. Now he was angry and it was all Ethan’s fault. Swallowing thickly and blinking back tears, don’t cry in front of him_ again _, he waited for the other’s response._

_Matt’s gaze drifted over Ethan’s body, taking in his thought-out outfit and carefully styled hair, “You’re gonna have to make this up to me. Later.” Ethan nodded, reaching out to take Matt’s hand in a gesture of truce, but the blonde turned and started down the stairs, obviously expecting the younger to follow._

_¥•¥_   
  


_Later that night, after an uneventful trip to the local grocery, they were settled in for a mini Harry Potter marathon (only the first three because Matt insisted they were horrible despite Ethan’s continuous protests that they were his favorite movies). As the opening music played, the younger could feel the excitement flowing through his body. There was nothing he loved more than Harry Potter movies. Well, except for Matt. And video games. Okay, so some things but not many! The first movie was his favorite, he loved the cinematography in the film as well as the beautifully crafted scenes and places in the small universe the producers created. He wanted_ so badly _to go into a speech on how he could guess what equipment they used and why certain cameras were better to him personally than others, but he knew Matt would only grow more irritated than he already was at having to sit through some of his boyfriends favorite movies. But, the blonde was already doing so much by watching patiently beside Ethan, so the latter was content with that. Instead, he kept his whirling thoughts to himself, barely stopping himself from blurting out random facts, or jumping up excitedly at his favorite parts. Watching Harry Potter with Matt was tedious in the way he had to control his every move, but it was worth it to spend time and cuddle on the couch under warm blankets. He wished Spencer could be out with them, but he knew Matt wouldn’t appreciate that_ at all _, so he settled for what he could get. Matt was right, Ethan was being selfish, he should be grateful for what he had._

_¥•¥_

_As the end credits of the third movie rolled onto the screen, the brunette felt a strong hand slide up his thigh, lightly palming him through his boxers, which, aside from the hoodie he had donned, was the only item of clothing he had on. The message was clear, Matt was obviously trying to start something, but Ethan was tired, and really just wanted to cuddle for the night, “Babe, not tonight, I don’t really feel like it, can we just cuddle?”_

_The glare Matt leveled him with made it hard to breathe, “No, you owe me for earlier, when you took so long to get ready when you knew I was waiting for you. C’mere.” He lifted Ethan easily, placing him on his lap so the younger was straddling his hips, “You’re so selfish, you need to show me you love me.” He roughly pulled Ethan into a kiss, moving his lips and slipping his tongue into the younger’s mouth much too quickly._

_“Matt, really, can I make it up to you some other time?” The brunette said, pulling back from the kiss to look into the others eyes, already feeling guilty at denying him, after all, they_ were _dating and, as Matt said, Ethan should strive to make him happy._

_The corner of Matt’s mouth tugged downwards into a frown, “So you don’t love me.” A statement, not a question. A wave of shame washed over the brunette, of course he loved Matt! How could the other not see that? Maybe Ethan wasn’t showing him or telling him often enough for him to know. God, the boy felt awful._

_Sitting up straighter Ethan quickly reassured the man, “Of course not! Baby, you_ know _I love you...” He drew in a breath as Matt’s hands cupped his ass, kneading slightly, “Then prove it to me.” The words were not gentle, but Ethan_ did _make him wait in the morning... “Okay..”_

_¥•¥_

Ethan snapped his eyes open as just as Mark closed the door behind him, “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you, you sure it’s ok for me to sleep in the bed with you? I’ll go downstairs on the couch if you want.” The suggestion was such a sharp contrast to his dream-memory that he almost laughed, Mark was so different than Matt, he made Ethan consider perspectives he had never thought of before. Remembering that the man had spoken to him, Ethan cleared his throat and answered, “I don’t mind... I actually would prefer not being alone right now...” The memory had left a sour taste in Ethan’s mouth, he felt like his brain was going back over the last six months and pointing out all the red flags he had flailed to notice the first time around.

His train of thought broke as he felt the mattress dip, signalling Mark’s presence on the bed, “Hey, I know we literally just met today, but, y’know since you’re out here, I was wondering if you’d want to visit my family with me tomorrow? That’s the whole reason I’m here anyway.” He chuckled at the end, making Ethan feel lighter somehow. 

“How romantic, meeting the family already,” the boy joked, already dozing back off, feeling more comfortable now with Mark’s gentle breathing beside him, “I’d love to.” He almost whispers the last part, not even sure the dark haired man heard him, but the soft huff of a laugh tipped him off that, yes, the man had heard and he was happy with the answer.

Ethan’s thoughts still swirled in circles around his brain, almost as if they were intent on never letting him rest. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remind himself that things were looking up now. Breaking up with Matt was a good decision. The _right_ decision. Sighing he promised himself he would talk about his feelings later, maybe to Mark, maybe not until he got out of this mess, but for now, he would rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> important notes that I want to make: sex is NEVER ok unless everyone clearly and ENTHUSIASTICLY consents!!! and you can ALWAYS say no at any point in whatever you’re doing, one of my friends had to remind me of that, so let this be a reminder for you! never do something that you’re not 100% comfortable with! you will regret it trust me, it’s never “not that bad”
> 
> anyways!! sorry about the long notes, i also wanted to make it clear that Matt is emotionally manipulative and that Ethan is expected to praise the bare minimum in their relationship, which is, you guessed it, not healthy! 
> 
> have a great day/night!! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for all the hits and kudos this is crazy! i honestly can’t believe one of my crazy ideas that i type into my tumblr drafts at one in the morning actually interests you guys!! this honestly brings me so much joy, just knowing people read this, anyways sorry abt the long note but i’m just so happy!!

Warm sunbeams caressed Ethan’s face as he rolled over, subconsciously reaching an arm over in search of the warmth that he had savored throughout the night. His slim fingers graded the worn sheets, spreading and searching, only to find that the chilled morning air had cooled the empty space next to him. The young man sat up with a start, eyes opening groggily, brain sluggishly trying to process why he was panicking. As his kind caught up to what he was seeing, fear began to carve its home into his heart again, having grown so accustomed to the heat of another body next to him even after just one night, the brunette could hardly control his breathing. Throwing the covers violently to the other side of the bed, he leaped onto the rough carpet, barely remembering to pull a shirt on before he was sprinting down the stairs. Ethans head was pounding, the wild thought running through his mind all seemingly making dents in his skull as they rampantly made their way around. 

His feet slammed obnoxiously on the old wood of the stairs, socks sliding dangerously before he reached the bottom, panting with tears in his eyes, before he spotted a dark head of hair seated at their normal table, a familiar newspaper in his hands. A harsh breath of air left his lungs as he sunk to the floor, causing everyone, everyone being mark and the owner, to turn towards him, concerned with the racket so early in the morning. 

Mark rushed over, “Hey are you alright? Is something wrong? Are you sick? Did Matt call again?” The assault of questions did nothing to soothe Ethan’s racing heart, _oh god was he going to throw up? Please don’t throw up, please-_

The brunette felt arms wrap around his shoulders, the angle was awkward, seeing as the boy had crumpled at the last step, and Mark was leaning over him, Ethan’s knees getting in the way of a proper hug, but the sentiment was enough to let the younger man take in a long breath. Feeling less frantic, he managed to speak, “Sorry, I-” he cleared his throat, emotions making him choke, “I thought you left me... I thought maybe you realized it was too much work to help me, or that I did something to make you mad, sorry for freaking out..” Guilt marched triumphantly around his chest, spewing curses at him, making him feel small in the older man’s arms. 

Sighing, Mark pulled away, worried Ethan for a split second before his eyes were met with warm brown ones, the dark pools soothing him to his very core, “Why would I be mad at you? You have no reason to say sorry either, if anything, _I’m_ sorry for leaving without telling you, I should’ve thought before I just decided to go downstairs. Especially after what happened. Why don’t we go sit and have some coffee or something?” The deep baritone of the man’s voice made it hard for Ethan to argue, coffee _did_ sound nice. Nodding once, he allowed the dark haired man to help him stand, legs feeling shaky now that the adrenaline was leaving his system. The floor creaked, in time with the counting in the boy’s head, both helping him calm down, and center himself in reality. Mark hadn’t left him, he wasn’t alone, he had someone to talk to. Out of everything Mark had done for him thus far, just having simple conversations is probably what kept Ethan sane throughout this, if he didn’t have someone to confide in, he probably would be curled up in bed feeling bad for himself. 

As soon as they were settled, Mark placed a mug in front of him, offering the drink, and his bright smile, as a peace offering. As if Ethan was ever mad at him. “Thanks for calming me down, I feel stupid for freaking out, I just... I couldn’t lose someone in the same way, in the same _place_ , so soon after Matt... y’know?” The last part was phrased timidly, like Mark would correct Ethan and ridicule him for worrying about his absence. He couldn’t be further from the truth, the earnest look in Mark’s eyes proved that. How could he look into those cerulean eyes and not give up his whole world to make them light up like they did when he spoke about something that made him smile?

”Man, you’re a mess you know that?” Ethan’s eyes widened, an embarrassed flush creeping up his neck, but before he could respond, Mark clarified, “Not in a bad way! It’s just... you seem to think so little of yourself, I wish you’d give yourself a bit more credit.” He paused, clearly debating his next words, “I think Matt really fucked with your head, you deserve so much more than what he gave you. Leaving you here and everything... I can tell being with him was rough.” He looked away, seemingly unable to look Ethan in the eyes, fearful of his reaction. 

Honestly, Ethan’s first instinct was to defend Matt, in fact, he opened his mouth to do so, but stopped as his mind processed what the other had said. Matt _did_ treat him like shit. The more Ethan though about it, the more obvious it became. The constant outbursts, giving him the silent treatment when he voiced his opinion on a topic they were arguing on, never letting him keep Spencer out in the house with them... and that was just off the top of his head, and Mark didn’t even know about those things, the little “quirks” about Matt that Ethan had learned to live with. Frowning, the young man reluctantly replied, “You’re right. The stupid thing is, is that I was about to defend him,” he let out a dry laugh, “ He was bad Mark. I never really told people about the bad things. Only the silver lining. Mika never liked him, now I see why she was right. Sorry, you probably don’t care... I’ll let you drink your coffee in peace.”

”That’s what I’m talking about, Ethan.” the boy looked up, confused, “You say sorry for _speaking_. Every time you talk more than a minute, you apologize. You’re not annoying, hell, I like your little tangents, the way your eyes light up when you talk about even the smallest things, it’s cute.” The man looked embarrassed at his admission, but paled in comparison to Ethan, who looked ready to combust.

”Th-thanks. Matt used to get mad at me when I rambled, he said no one wants to hear nonsense all the time. He _really_ hates it when I talk about film stuff, y’know like camera equipment and aspect ratios, he says it’s annoying because I’m trying to sound smart.” Ethan smiled, but it faded when he saw Mark’s expression. It was a dark, broody frown that made the former shiver. “...Did I say something wrong?” 

Quickly shaking his head, Mark reassured the boy, “No, I’m just thinking how much I want to punch this dude in the face.” He didn’t explain further, but his words put a small smile on Ethan’s face, God could he relate. He would roundhouse Matt the next time he saw him, he was sure of it.

A comfortable silence grew between the two men as they both enjoyed each other’s company and the cool morning air that drifted through the open windows and doors. It wasn’t long, maybe half an hour or a little more, until Ethan’s mind supplied a random tangent, “Do you think that people are hiding their superpowers? Like what if all of us have superpowers, but we’re scared of becoming a science experiment, or being hunted so we just all keep it a secret and no one knows? Would you hide yours?” At this point, Matt would’ve rolled his eyes and told Ethan to be quiet, but Mark seemed to seriously consider the question, “No, I don’t think I would hide my superpowers. I think that if everyone had them and they saw they weren’t alone and felt safe to be themselves, then I think the risk of being the first is worth it” Nodding, Ethan pondered Marks response, the older man not interrupting his thoughts, even as the pause trailed into the “too long” variety, wanting to give the brunette his time to think, as this was obviously an important consideration to him, so Mark would wait. Eventually, the younger replied, “I think I would be too scared to come forward first. I overthink about the outcomes of small things like how I walk in the grocery store and how I stand in line, I think something like that would be too overwhelming for me to take on.” The admission makes Ethan feel guilty, he wishes he could be brave like Mark, but he felt being honest was the best choice. “Hey, man, I get that. If I overthought so much about every day things, I probably wouldn’t do it either. I don’t really think though,” He lets out a small giggle-snort, “That’s why I end up making decisions like letting a stranger stay with me while I’m visiting family in Korea.” Ethan’s eyes widen as a laugh overtakes him, silent convulsions of his body signaling his overwhelming joy. Once he was able to control his breathing enough to choke out a sentence he replied, “You- you’re right, why the _fuck_ did you do this?,” His giggles overcome his once again as he delves back into his laughter. Mark leans back in his chair, unable to stop the small shakes of his body as he laughs, “God, I don’t know, but I’m really glad I did,” They both calm down, although they’re still smiling widely, they just stare at each other for a moment, the rest of the world forgotten, no crazy ex-boyfriends, no panicking at the sight of an empty bed, just two not-strangers looking into each other’s eyes. Ethan felt close to Mark in this moment, like he had known him for a lifetime, like his soul knew this is where he was meant to be. It ended as soon as it started, the owner tapping Ethan on the shoulder, drawing his attention away from the other man. The owner placed a landline phone into Ethan’s palm, miming for him to put it up to his ear. 

As soon as he did, he regretted it, “Ethan, baby, I’m so sorry...” Matt’s voice pitched lowly in his ears, an ocean-like static filled his ears, he didnt even register the rest of what the other was saying, just hearing the blonde’s voice filled his chest with anxiety. He was unable to do anything but hold the phone to his ear, the deadly siren song of Matt’s voice pulling him in, forcing him to listen to the lies spilling from between his perfect white teeth, “I never should have left you there, you know that? You’re right, and you should come back home. Right now. The landlord told me you’re staying with a guy there, don’t you know how dangerous that is?” And just like that, Ethan knew how he had fallen in love with Matt. Although he knew better now, the gentle words almost soothes his ragged heart. Almost. In the background of the call, Ethan could hear snickering, the telltale laughs of Matt’s douchebag friends. _Is he really trying to get his little fucktoy to come back? Yeah, man, I guess it’s hard to find someone to suck your dick constantly when you’re so used to one person ready to get on their knees 24/7. “_ Shut it,” Matt’s voice interrupted the quiet muttering, “Don’t listen to them, Eth, I really do miss you.” Ethan’s eyes watered, God he was such a crybaby, angrily wiping his tears he bit out a response, “No you don’t. Dont give me that, Matthew,” the brunette felt a petty joy at the small annoyance he knew was tugging at Matt’s chest right then, “I’m not going back with you, get over it. Apparently I’m just a _fucktoy_ so you’ll find someone else.

He could almost see the furious red flush creeping up his ex’s neck, Ethan knew an explosive episode was coming and decided to end it on a high note, “Have fun throwing your shit around.” He pulled the phone away from his ear, pushing the red _end call_ button and handing it back to the owner, who was still standing patiently beside the table. Giving a forced smile as a thank you, he watched the old man walk away, presumably to finish his crossword puzzles. Finally, he glanced at Mark, who’s expression was unreadable.

”I feel like I don’t have to ask, but who was it?” his tone was cautiously joking, as if he was scared Ethan would get angry at him trying to lighten the mood, scoffing he replied, “The one and only Matthew.” He gave a small smile to Mark, so the other would know he was ok with the jokes and also that he wasn’t too upset about the phone call. 

“Well... I had to make sure. You handled it well this time, you had the upper hand too!” the man looked genuinely happy that Ethan was able to leave the call proudly this time. Grinning at the table, Ethan grabbed a napkin and began to fold it into a little flower, content to do so while Mark finished his coffee. The easy, comfortable silence came back, almost like the small hiccup of a certain phone call never even happened. A while later, after Ethan’s fifth napkin flower, Mark spoke up, “Hey, I was gonna ask this when you came down, but then... you know, and so I was gonna ask you after we sat down but, y’know... anyways,” he took a deep breathe as if trying to gather courage, _maybe he’s gonna ask me to get my own room_ , the idea made Ethan’s heart sink, “I was wondering if you wanted to go down to my mom’s house with me. You saw that little neighborhood on the way to the market, right?” He paused, seeing Ethan’s surprised expression, “You don’t have to, obviously, I just thought it would be fun and—” he was interrupted by a small giggle, glancing up he saw the face of the man across from him light up with laughter. 

Once he calmed down, biting his toungue between his front teeth to quiet himself, noting Marks blush, he answered, “Of _course,_ I would love to, Mark! I thought you were gonna ask me to move out!” He let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, Mark doing the same, although genuine.

”You’ve got to stop laughing before you clarify what you’re laughing _at_ , I thought you thought I was joking!” the words fell out of a smiling mouth, the older man standing and stretching out his arms. Ethan stared at the small strip of skin that was revealed as the others shirt rode up, blushing after realizing what he was doing. Hurrying to follow Mark’s example, he scrambled to his feet, shaking his hands and legs out. 

“So, when do we leave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry to end it there, I was gonna write more but it’s been so long i wanted to give you guys something lol 
> 
> i have the next chapter planned, but school started where i am and my writing time got cut down a bit, i hope you guys aren’t mad about the update time lol! 
> 
> anyways, tell me how you liked this chapter cause i included a teeny tiny bit of what mark is thinking, did it flow well still??


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long break since the last chapter!! i hate leaving this work not updated for so long but this is my first time writing a fic and i really didn’t think too much about fitting it in with my schedule lol
> 
> anyways!! hope you like this chapter, ill try to update more consistently once school steadys out :)

_“Meet me in the room at four, wear comfy clothes, and make sure you’re ready to meet some_ loud _people.”_

Mark’s words along with his devilish smirk replayed in Ethan’s mind as he pulled on his favorite yellow hoodie, leaving his chest bare underneath, not wanting to grow too warm in the humid air, but wanting to feel comfortable the whole night, and shimmying into a pair of maybe-shorter-than-he-would-normally-wear shorts. Sighing contently at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, the young boy gathered his things and stepped out into the hallway to go back to his- well _his and Mark’s_ \- room. He only had about thirty minutes before he met up with Mark downstairs and he wanted to make sure he looked good and maybe he would google conversation starters to soothe his avid mind. Keeping his mental list in the forefront of his thoughts, Ethan pushed open the door to the shared room, and was greeted with a smiling man. A smiling man who had _no shirt on oh my god is that a six pack-_

Ethan tore his eyes away from where they had drifted down the older man’s torso, blushing and opening and closing his mouth, helplessly trying to get words, _any words_ , out. His mind settled on, “Shit, boobs!” before he shielded his eyes and rethought every life decision that led to him yelling _boobs_ at a grown man who he was sharing a hotel room with. “Uh- sorry that just came out, I honestly don’t know how to recover from that-” He was cut off by an eruption of laughter coming from the man in front of him. Full body shakes accented by an adorable giggle/wheeze laugh that instantly brought a grin to Ethan’s flushed face. 

“B-boo” Mark gasped, desperately trying to force words through his thousand-watt smile, “Boobs?? Thanks man, I know I’m ripped but I had no idea I’d gotten to boob tier yet.” He smiled triumphantly, taking a mock-trophy pose and winking at the embarrassed boy before him. 

Blushing even fiercer than before, Ethan rolled his eyes and pushed past the still-posing man, “Yeah, whatever, aren’t we supposed to leave soon?” After placing his things he’d carried from the bathroom in his bag, the brunette turned, met with the sight of Mark’s broad back pulling on a well-fitting black shirt. 

Turning, the dark haired man smirked, “Wow, already so eager to meet the family, you want to tell them we’re dating too, or should that wait til next time?” Ethan rolled his eyes for the second time in three minutes, grabbing his phone and shoving it in his pocket alongside his wallet, “Ugh, come _on_.” His tone was annoyed but the playful grin and lingering blush on his face gave away his true feelings of excitement and joy.

Smiling in victory, at whatever competition he thought he had just won, Mark walked to the door and held it open for the younger, bowing in facetious chivalry, “After you, your majesty. You look quite dashing tonight if I may say.” He finished off his silly act with a wink and goofy smile, as if Ethan’s heart wasn’t beating three times as fast as it should be.

“C’mon we can’t be late!”   
  


“As you wish, my liege.”

”Ughh”

They made their way down the stairs, Ethan bouncing on the ones that squeaked higher pitched and giggling the whole way down, he caught himself and turned to Mark to apologize for being loud, but instead of the annoyed grimace he was expecting, the young man was met with a fond smile and kind eyes. He blushed, wondering if someone could die from all their blood going to their face constantly, surely that would be the end of Ethan Nestor as the man walking with him made sure that his cheeks were always aflame.

The loud steps on the stairs had, however, gotten the attention of the sweet owner, who waved at them from his worn armchair as they stepped through the front door into the humid summer air. Ethan almost regretted his choice of clothing, before remembering he chose this particular hoodie: because it always made his feel safe in crowded areas, and Mark had assured him there were plenty of people visiting his mom’s house, so Ethan pulled the sleeves over his hands, balling the excess fabric into his fists, the pressure of the hemmed material grounding him. 

Cicadas buzzed in the trees and frogs sang their soft cacophony of noises, Ethan closed his eyes to listen for a moment as he and Mark strolled down the dirt road. When he opened them to glance at Mark, he was surprised by the sight of deep brown pools staring right back at him, “Jeez, Mark, keep staring like that and I’ll have to start charging you,” he joked, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. Did he have something on his face? Mark chuckled and responded, “Don’t flatter yourself, I was just wondering how you aren’t sweating like hell in that hoodie.”

“It’s for comfort not function!” Ethan’s voice pitched in an annoyingly high tone but Mark only laughed in response at the boy’s childish behavior. They fell into a comfortable silence, occasionally Ethan would loudly announce the presence of a frog or particularly large beetle, but otherwise the two simply enjoyed each other’s company on the journey down the hill to Mark’s mom’s house. 

As the approached the beginning of the neighborhood, Ethan’s stomach began to twist in anxiety, “Are you sure they’ll be ok with me coming over?” his voice was laced with nerves, the last thing he wanted was to intrude on a family gathering.

Playfully elbowing the younger, Mark reassured him that _yes_ his mom was fine with Ethan coming, encouraged it actually. “Fine, but if they hate me it’s your fault Markimoo.” The odd nickname made the older man snort, but he stifled it to point out his mom’s house, which was fairly close to the entrance of the neighborhood. 

The house was a decent size, with a large green yard with beautiful flowerbeds and a small fountain. Leading up to the door was a stone pathway, the texture of which made Ethan smile, he often found enjoyment in small, seemingly strange places. He could feel the small round shapes of the rock-embedded path through his shoes, almost like a weird massage. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Mark’s fist tapping the wooden door in front of him, he hadn’t even noticed they’d made it to the front door. 

Seconds later, a smiling, adorable woman opened the door, wrapping Mark in a hug immediately, and turning to Ethan to do the same before the brunette could decline, “Mark! Who is this sexy man you brought here? You like boys now?” 

Mark halted his mother’s barrage of questions with a flustered clearing of his throat and a gentle hand raised to signal her to let him speak, “No, uh, mom, this is Ethan, he’s staying with me until he can get back home.” He continued in Korean, most likely explaining in more detail, but not wanting anything to get lost in translation. 

After a short conversation between Mark and his mother, the kind woman turned to Ethan with a smile, “Come in, come in! Everyone is here and would love to meet you! Introduce yourself!” Unable to argue with her gentle yet insisting manner, the brunette followed her into the house, copying Mark by taking his shoes off at the door. “I’m Sunok, by the way! Call me that please, I’ll go tell everyone you’re here, they’re all outside, come join us after you get drinks.” True to her word, she slid open the glass door leading to a porch area, disappearing from their line of sight. 

“She called me sexy?” The words exited Ethan’s mouth before he could even process what was being said, and he closed his mouth and raised his eyebrows to try and contain his laughter and surprise at his own words. It didn’t last three seconds. Immediately the two men were bent over, howling in laughter at Ethan’s lack of filter, they didn’t calm down for a good five minutes, one of them starting back up as soon as the last laughing bout ended. 

“I’m glad you picked up the most important parts of what she said, babe.” Mark’s eyes shone with mirth, not even realizing his slip up. That is, until he saw Ethan’s cherry red cheeks, “D-did you just call me babe?” his voice was an octave higher than usual, which meant the question was more of a squeak than anything.

“No.. shut up. I call everyone babe _fyi_ it’s nothing special,” the older man grumbled, clearly embarrassed, he changed the subject quickly, “What do you want to drink?”

Deciding to spare Mark from more teasing, Ethan hummed as he glanced at the island in the middle of the kitchen, which was covered in a variety of drinks: both soda and alcohol for the crowd of people currently sitting outside, “I think I want something strong, I deserve it after the past few weeks I’ve had,” his tone was joking, but Mark knew the boy’s words held some truth.

“Ok, then you are in for a _treat_ , because my mom got this _nice_ bottle from Japan, it’ll fuck you up though so be careful.” The dark haired man smiled and handed a sleek bottle filled about halfway with a clear liquid Ethan assumed was vodka or something similar.

His intuition turned out to be right, turning the bottle in his grip he read the label: _Haku Vodka, 95%_. His eyes almost bugged out of his head, he’d never had anything over 40% and he thought that was strong! Despite his initial shock, excitement bubbled in his stomach, he’d needed this chance to have a drink and relax.

Twisting the cap off, the brunette brought the mouth of the bottle to his nose, inhaling to get a sense of how much this was going to burn. Immediately his nose scrunched against the harsh smell, but the sensation only made Ethan’s mouth water, something that always happened when he drank. He walked over to a cabinet with small glasses in it and grabbed one of the crystal cups, pouring a tiny amount of the strong smelling liquor into the bottom. Raising it to his lips, noticing Mark staring at him in amusement, he took his first sip. The burn was immediate, as the liquid slid down his throat the young man forced himself to not gag, “Holy _shit_ , I’ve never had something this strong what the _fuck_.” He coughed turning towards Mark in an accusing manner.

The older man simpered, “I _did_ tell you the percent! And you can’t blame me for wanting to see you drink it straight, I saw you get a glass and assumed you’d mix it with something, but not just take a drink right out the bottle.” His claims were sabotaged by his devious smile and shining eyes. It was hard to be ticked off when the dark haired man was looking at him like that, so Ethan settled on rolling his eyes, though he couldn’t quite keep a smile off his face.

“You win this round Markimoo, but mark my words I will have revenge!” he raised a finger to the ceiling as if declaring a defendant guilty, and turned to dilute the potent liquor with some fruit punch. As he topped his glass off, Ethan glanced at Mark to see what he was having, but was met with the other man simply waiting for him to finish, a water bottle in hand. 

“Are you not gonna get anything? We’re already here may as well grab something so you don’t have to come back.” Ethan suggested gesturing to the assortment of bottles on the counter.

“No, I don’t drink,” he chuckles at Ethan’s surprised expression, “It’s not a personal choice or anything, my body just can’t process alcohol well so I only drink occasionally.” He expalined, sounding miffed about the situation. Hell, Ethan would be, he drinks almost every weekend, not to a problematic degree, but enough to where he would miss it if it was suddenly taken away from him.

“Sorry, I didn’t know,” the younger said shyly, taking a sip of his drink, which turned out surprisingly good, the bite of the alcohol adding to the fruity sourness of the punch.

“Don’t apologize, it is what it is, we need to go outside anyways, they’re probably talking about us already.” He sounds fondly annoyed, as if his family gossiping about visitors was commonplace- it probably was, I mean, who wouldn’t talk about a stranger showing up at their house?

Nodding, the brunette followed the other man out onto the patio, the sun was beginning to set, and it cast the small garden and fruit trees in a pleasant orangey light, “Anneyeunghaseyo!” Mark’s greeting rang out, alerting the large group, probably 12-15 people, to their arrival. A few words were exchanged, Ethan standing awkwardly beside Mark, not knowing what to say or even how to say it if he did have anything to offer. 

After a long minute, Mark turned to Ethan and gestured for him to... do something. Introduce himself? Say hi? Did Mark already introduce him? Taking in a breath to steel himself, the boy shyly introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Ethan, nice to meet you, I hope you don’t mind me being here.” He prayed they answered the last statement because he didn’t think he could deal with a night full of worrying they were all mad at him.

Thankfully, Mark seemed happy to translate to the members of his family that didn’t speak English, turning to him a few moments later and telling Ethan what they said, “They say not to worry and to stop being so nervous, they like you and plus they’re very nice, so hang out and chill for a bit, _babe_.” He winked with the last word, enjoying Ethan’s scarlet blush.

“I don’t doubt that they’re nice... sexy,” the brunette made a disgusted face at his own attempt at a sarcastic pet name, not knowing why his brian jumped to _sexy_. Well, he _did_ technically know, it because Mark was the sexiest man he’d ever seen, but that didn’t excuse his horrible improve skills, “I’m... pretend that never happened.”

He wouldn’t be so lucky though, seeing as the other man was doubled over laughing, “I see y-you’re learning from my mom.” He was barely able to get the words out between his heaves of laughter, Ethan smiled and sipped his drink.

Just then, a man who looked similar to Mark, but with sharper features and an edgy-er vibe. His arms were covered with tattoos, the sleeve traveling up up up until they were cut off by a dark green shirt. 

“Hey! I’m Jacob, I’m Mark’s cousin, nice to meet you,” he reached out his hand which Ethan gladly accepted, smiling at the newcomer, “So, what brings you here? Mark never lets anyone come with him on his _personal vacations_.” He emphasized the last words with air quotes, apparently this was something of a family joke.

“Har har Jacob, he’s staying with me until we can get him home.” Ethan blushed at the other man’s use of ‘we’. It _was_ true, but the thought that Mark saw them as a duo was endearing.

Jacob pushed Mark playfully, “Mark’s not really a people person, I was just wondering if something was going on that he wasn’t telling us. But, anyways, Ethan, since you’re not _with_ with Mark... are you single?”

Ethan’s face lit up immediately, he’d probably be permanently red by the end of this trip, “Uh, well..” he glanced at Mark, unsure of why he was looking for confirmation, “Yeah I’m single.. but it’s kind of complicated right now.” He finished decidedly, not missing Mark’s pleased expression. 

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair then, see you guys.” Jacob left with a smile and a wave, seemingly unfazed by the gentle rejection.

“Sorry about him, he’s always flirting with someone new.”

“It’s fine,” Ethan giggled, watching as another family member made their way towards them, “Who’s this?”

“That’s my aunt’s cousin she doesn’t really speak English so I might have to translate.”

Ethan nodded then smiled at the woman as she approached them, “Hi! I’m Ethan!” He held out his hand which she took gently and grinned at.

“So-” Mark was cut off by his Mother asking from across the yard if he could help her start a fire, he quickly excused himself to make sure his mother didn’t burn her house down, and to see why she even wanted to set something on fire in the first place.

The two strangers were left in an awkward silence, with their translator gone, they couldn’t exactly communicate. Then, Ethan had an idea. Pulling out his phone, he opened up google translate and typed in a few words, _my name is ethan what’s yours?_

The young woman clapped her hands and reached out to type her own sentence, _hello, my name is Yelim, how do you known Mark?_ The grammar was slightly off because google translate is actually horrible at its job, but Ethan got the gist of it.

He excitedly replied, happy with himself for thinking of this idea, _I’m staying with Mark until I can get back home, he let me share his bed_. He turned the screen back towards Yelim so she could read it, but wasn’t prepared for her surprised look. Before he could ask what was wrong, Mark made his reappearance, “Hey guys, sorry she just wanted to have a little bonfire,” he processed Yelim’s expression and Ethan’s phone that still had google translate open, “Oh, that’s smart actually, what are you guys talking about?” He smiled, turning as Yelim opened her mouth only to lean in and whisper soemthing to him.

Mark’s eyes bugged, he turned Ethan’s phone so he could read the sentence. His face cracked into a wide smile, a wheezing laugh escaping the clutches of his chest, “E-Ethan you told her we’re sleeping together.” 

“I mean... we are?” He looked on confusedly, not quite understanding the humor in the situation, that is, until Mark opened his mouth next.

“No- like,” he wheezed again, “Like fucking each other,” at this point he has delved into a fit of laughter, drawing the attention of the people closest to them.

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Ethan’s face resumed its cherry-like state, “No!” he turned to Yelim, “Like sharing a bed! I promise! I wouldn’t tell you that even if we were!”

Mark finally calmed down enough to explain the miscommunication to his cousin, chuckling as she burst into her own fit of laughter. She waved goodbye to Ethan and turned to leave, probably to tell everyone what just happened.

“Jeez, I leave you alone for three minutes and you tell my cousin we’re sleeping together?”

“S-shut up! It wasn’t my fault! It’s google translate’s!” Ethan’s voice turned into a whine, one that made Mark’s stomach flip.

“Alright, I believe you, let’s go see what my mom is doing, she probably told me it was for a campfire so she could blow something up.”

The pair walked over to the sweet old woman who was holding a lighter and a firecracker. Mark rushed over quickly to make sure she was doing it safe, not like he could stop her, so may as well help her.

¥•¥  
  


It was a few hours later and three more of his fruit-punch-strongest-vodka-he’s-ever-had mixtures in and Ethan was having trouble standing without swaying on his feet. He had met so many new people it left his head swimming. He leaned heavily on Mark, clutching his shirt as he exchanged pleasantries with his family members. Part of him felt bad for showing up to his friend’s (was Mark his friend? Ethan would like to think so) mother’s house and getting wasted, but the other half of him felt like this is something he needed to do to relax, forget about Matt and the fact he still couldn’t get home. Lately, Matt had taken a backseat in Ethan’s mind. He found that a certain set of dark brown eyes and silky black hair occupied the forefront of his mind now. 

“Hey, you good, Eth?” the deep timbre of the older man’s voice brought Ethan out of his dazed musings. He tried nodding his head yes, but ended up flipping his head back and forth dramatically, answering Mark’s question for him. Smiling at the boy’s sloppy state Mark excused them from the gathering and led Ethan back through the house and began the trek back up to the inn.

Heart aching with guilt, the brunette tried to apologize, “I’m ssorry Mark,,, i didn’ mean to get this fucked up.” A pout graced his lips, making something in Mark’s chest flutter.

“Hey, it’s ok, it’s getting late anyways we probably would’ve been leaving soon anyways.” He quickly wraps an arm around Ethan who, in the span of the three seconds it took for Mark to speak, had managed to stumble twice. The older man was happy to support his friend, though, “C’mon you clumsy dork, it’s really dark out and I don’t want any wild animals to grab us. Like bears.”   
  


For some reason Ethan found that hilarious, loud giggles erupting from him, interrupting the pace the two men had found and causing the younger to tumble to the ground. He found himself sitting on his ass in the dirt, swaying in place. “ _Fuck_ I’m wasted.” He then smiled and looked up at Mark who was staring down at him with an exasperated expression.

“Jesus, you need me to carry you or what?” A moment of silence passed before Ethan made grabby hands at the man towering over him. Sighing, Mark leaned down and scooped the small boy up in his arms, “You better remember this.”

A few minutes later they were stepping into the front door or the small inn and making their way towards the stairs. This is what Mark had been dreading, while Ethan wasn’t heavy by any means, the man was worried he would move weird and send them both careening down the wooden steps. His fears were for naught, though, as he made it up the stairs with the younger man still cradled in his arms, softly singing about...learning to read?? The dark haired man rolled his eyes and grinned, he found himself more and more infatuated with the boy as each day passed.

Closing the door to their room with his foot, Mark sat drunk Ethan on the bed kneeling down to take his shoes off before removing his own. As he stood he noticed bright green eyes staring up at him from the bed, “You’re sso strong Mark, can I fe..feel your arms again?” The boy grinned and reached out his hands.

Chuckling, Mark lifted his arm to allow the other to feel his biceps, smiling at the way Ethan’s eyes grew wider as he flexed, “Ok, that’s enough, let’s get you to bed.” He pulled the blankets back and gestured for the younger to climb in, “You know, you owe me one for carrying you all the way up that hill,” he joked, plugging his phone up to the wall. When he didn’t hear a response, he turned, slightly worried Ethan had passed out, but was met with sad eyes. 

Ethan got up, stumbling before he caught himself on the edge on the bed. Raising an eyebrow in question, Mark watched the boy as he fell to his knees, “Eth, what are you doing? Are you going to be sick?”

Ethan frowned, “No.. I’m ok I can do it..” he reached forward hands grabbing at Mark’s waistband and tugging. 

Mark grabbed his hands, “Woah Ethan what are you doing? You’re drunk, you can’t think straight, c’mon get up.”

Ethan stared up at him, a confused expression littering his features, “But... you ssaid I owed you, I don’ understand..” He stood anyways, accepting Mark’s hand in order to stand, “Whenever I upset Matt he said I owed him and made me... is that not what you meant?” 

The soft way Ethan said those words, the true confusion in his eyes, is what broke Mark. Feeling his eyes fill with tears, he wrapped the young boy in his arms. He tried to convey everything he wanted to say to the brunette, but knew he’d have to bring it up in the morning for it to be remembered. For now, he took Ethan’s hand and lead him back to the bed, “Go to sleep, Eth. We can talk about this in the morning, I know we’re both tired.”

The younger man obeyed, sliding in under the sheets and cuddling closer to Mark once he did the same. The boy was asleep within seconds, but Mark knew he wouldn’t catch a wink after realizing just _how_ bad Ethan’s relationship was with Matt.

The cicadas were quiet as the night grew darker, letting the frogs sing their melancholy song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! sorry for the long long break, but school is kicking my ass!
> 
> ANYWAYS thank you so much for reading this!! tell me how your day went even if it wasn’t good, i love hearing from people :) hope you all have a great day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! long time no update lol i’ve been really really busy with school i’ve barely seen my family cause of all the schoolwork i have but i made time to work on this story!
> 
> also, if any of you are going through a rough patch, this is your sign to keep going! don’t hurt yourself, you can get through this, i promise things will get better in the future. pinky promise. 
> 
> anywaysss enjoy the chapter lol

Ethan groaned as he woke up, sunlight from the window illuminating the pristine sheets next to him, oh yeah, and the beautiful sleeping man beside him who’s silky hair spread out around his head like a halo, drawing in Ethan’s gaze and holding it there like it would never let it go. He was still slightly drunk, the alcohol from the late night before not having processed fully yet; but he was still much more aware now, all he felt was a slight buzz from the leftover liquor.

Not soon after he woke, the dark haired man lounging next to him stirred, a deep rumble emitting from his chest as he stretched. Ethan pulled the covers up to just below his eyes, not wanting the other man to see he had been watching him. It was in vain, Mark fixed him with a smile, a smile with a sad undertone that Ethan couldn’t find the source of. He didn’t remember much of last night after meeting Mark’s cousins. 

“Good morning,” his voice was scratchy from sleep and he could see the ends of his morning hair standing straight up, “What happened last night? You seem sad, I didn’t say anything did I? I don’t remember much..” He looked at Mark, eyes cast under long eyelashes, only adding to the soft and strangely charming look that was making Mark’s heart do somersaults.

The older man gave the brunette a tight lipped smile, “Yeah, actually something did happen last night that I wanted to talk about,” he continued even after seeing Ethan open his mouth, probably to apologize before he even knew what happened, “When we got back to the room you were pretty out of it...I had carried you upstairs so I made a joke about you owing me..”

Ethan’s face remained a picture of confusion, he really didn’t remember last night, he must have been more drunk than he realized, “Mark- I’m sorr-”

“Don’t apologize Eth, I haven’t even told you what happened.” He paused letting the younger man settle back into the blankets, “After I said that... you, uh, you got on your knees..? I asked you what you were doing and you told me that when Matt said you owed him, that he _made_ you do...that. Is that true? Did he force you to do things with him when you were that drunk or didn’t want to?” Mark’s voice was laced with such sadness that Ethan almost teared up.

He took a deep breath, breaking the staring contest he and Mark were having to glance at a loose thread near his head, something about the position they were in, lying on their sides facing each other, made Ethan want to open up, “I...yeah,” he sighed, “Matt would always use the excuse that he did so much for me, which I realize now were just the bare minimum. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night, I understand if you don’t want me to stay with you anymore-”

Mark stopped his rambling with a steely glare, “Ethan I don’t think you realize how much I care about you,” he sat up staring down at Ethan with an intensity that made the smaller squirm, “I hate Matt for what he did to you. I’ve only known you for a week — maybe two— and I can confidently say that you are one of the kindest and most genuine human beings I have ever met. You don’t deserve what that asshole did to you.” He inhaled a long breath, the speech seemingly having taken all the energy from him.

Ethan’s heart constructed with emotion, did Mark really mean that? This sweet, loving, and gentle man who generously harbored him, a stranger, thought that _he_ was genuine? 

“Mark...I..thank you,” he sat up, eyes prickling with tears, scooting closer and wrapping the older man in a hug, “I don’t know how I found a guardian angel like you to protect me, but I want to personally thank whatever Gods sent you down to me. You have been kinder than any person I’ve ever met. Thank you for helping me realize how shitty Matt was. I needed a wake up call to be honest.. I’m glad that wake up call was you.” He beamed at Mark, his eyes crinkling at the corners, joy threatening to spill over onto his cheeks.

Mark hugged Ethan back, not daring to be the first to let go, “I think I’ve become overly attached to you, Eth.” He sighed, basking in the warmth of the morning and of the man whose arms were still wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

“Me too.”

¥•¥  
  


For the next hour the two lounged in bed, limbs loosely tangled together, not wanting to shake the comfort they had found not only in the soft blankets, but in the newfound understanding of each other. It really was strange how attatched Ethan felt to the man laying next to him. They had barely met two weeks ago and now he felt an indescribable pull towards him, almost like the two meeting was destined to happen since the beginning of time.

“Hey Mark?”

“What, Eth?”

“Where am I going to go when I get back? Matt helped pay my rent since I can’t keep a job...which is...pretty pathetic, but I’m worried now.. I don’t want to talk to him anymore, but what if I do all this and end up having to go crawling back to him?” Genuine fear tugged on Ethan’s mind, trickling into his words like melting ice. He couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ , go back to Matt, even if it meant losing his apartment.

Mark was silent for a moment, as if the thought hadn’t even occurred to him yet, “You’re not pathetic. It’s hard to find a stable job, but if you need somewhere to stay, my house is awfully lonely... you could stay with me until you can get back on your feet.” The man sounded timid, as if worried his offer would come off the wrong way.

Ethan glanced over from where he was still spread out on the bed, “Mark...I can’t ask you to do that for me, you’ve already done so much, I don’t want to burden you any further...” He sat up suddenly, stretching his arms and arching his back, not catching Mark’s eyes flitting over his form, focusing on the graceful line of the brunette’s body. The younger moved to the edge of the bed and reached down, to pick up the yellow hoodie he had apparently abandoned in the night, “I think the drinks from last night are wearing off,” he murmured, turning his head to look back at the other man who was still laying comfortably on the bed, “Will you go downstairs with me to get some water?”

Mark smiled softly at the boy, “Nice job changing the subject, but you’re staying with me til you can get your own place.” He stood, though, pulling on his shoes that were resting at the foot of the bed, “Let’s go into town instead, we can get breakfast,” he checked his watch, “-uh, lunch. Anyways, we can get something to eat then go back to my mom’s place, she asked me last night to come back to hang out again, that sound good?”

Ethan nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stood and grabbed his shoes. As they neared the door, Mark pulled the brunette into another hug, “I meant what I said Eth, I really care about you...” he pulled away just enough to stare into the other’s ocean eyes, “You could tell me you hate me and I’d still pay for your plane ride home.” He stepped back giving the other time to reply.

Ethan stared up at Mark with wide eyes, the colors changing with every minute shift the boy made, “You’re weird, Mark” is all he said, smiling widely and taking the man’s hand to lead him downstairs. They made the familiar trip down the hallway to the stairs, waving hello to the owner and his wife as they passed.

The sky was cloudy today, the air humid and sticky, hinting at the impending rain. Ethan inhaled deeply, his head throbbing slightly, likely a result of the alcohol the night before. He glanced at Mark, seeing how his deep brown eyes sparkled as they took in every dragonfly and swaying blade of grass, how they flitted over the horizon, always hiding the thoughts buzzing around in the man’s head. _He’s beautiful_ , Ethan thought, running his hands through his own hair, feeling the sweat accumulating along his hairline. After a good five minutes, Mark finally caught the younger in the act, smiling softly at the other’s side green eyes, always showcasing his whirling thoughts like an open book. That’s what Mark liked about Ethan the most: how he felt everything all at once. It was beautiful to watch, to witness the full breadth of human emotion expressed in every movement of Ethan’s delicate features. _He’s beautiful_ , Mark thought.

“Hey look!” The brunette’s excited voice brought Mark out of his thoughts, quickly focusing on what the younger was so excited about. “Look how _huge_ that frog is, Mark!” He promptly followed the frog on its journey into the tall grass, only stopping when he saw Mark laughing at him, “ _What_? He’s so _cute_ , I love his little green feet!”

“Yeah, I’m sure he was _very_ cute, Ethan. Hey, just a quick thought, why don’t we actually make it down to the market before lunch?” his voice jokingly taunted Ethan, who jogged a bit to catch up to the man, softly pushing his shoulder once he caught up. 

“You’re lucky I’m here to point out things like the cute frogs, otherwise you wouldn’t see the little beautiful things, you’d be too focused on the obvious beauty of nature. Not me, I like the little things.” He hummed, not even apologizing for his small ramblings, something Mark noticed that made his heart flutter. Ethan was starting to get comfortable enough around him to really show his true self, he wouldn’t ruin that like Matt had, he would treasure it.

“Ok Mr. Philosopher, we’re here, how’s the beauty of some breakfast sound?” his joke was lame, but the sparkle in Ethan’s eyes was distracting him, he could barely remember how to order their food, staring adoringly at the other man the whole walk to his mother’s house. He was in deep. Fuck.

¥•¥  
  


Ethan ate his breakfast happily, rambling on and on about his favorite cameras and why some were better. Once he got onto the topic of the new a7siii from Sony, he could hardly contain his excitement. The thing was, he didn’t feel embarrassed or scared about sharing his interests with Mark, the older man had told him so many times to stop apologizing that he started to believe him. Maybe Matt was wrong, maybe he wasn’t a nuisance, Mark certainly didn’t seem to think so, he listened so intently to Ethan that the smaller could physically feel the joy swelling in his chest.

As he reached the topic, albeit a tangent, of his favorite aspect ratios, he and Mark reached Sunok’s house. Mark’s mother was an unbelievably kind woman, inviting Ethan over even after he got shitfaced the first time he met her. His cheeks were dusted pink as they stood at the front door, the crescendo of the doorbell echoing though the thick wood. _What if she was mad at him?_

The door abruptly opened, a smiling woman appearing before them, “Ethan! Mark! I was waiting for you! Come, come we go outside with the rest of the family!” 

With the bulk of his anxiety soothed, Ethan followed Mark through his mom’s house and out onto the back patio. It seemed only a few of the large party remained, about five people sat outside conversing, turning to see who had arrived.

One of Mark’s cousins, embarrassingly Ethan couldn’t remember which, spoke up, “Hey guys! We were just talking about how chewing gum can actually make your jaw grow bigger!”

Just like that, conversation flowed and the brunette found himself feeling more at home than he had ever felt in his entire life. He felt as though there had been a part of him missing and he had just found it and filled the hole in his heart. He smiled as Mark argued that he would prove his cousin wrong by chewing gum every day, claiming that there was no way chewing could change bone structure.

The young boy actually disagreed, the muscle on top of the bone defines the jawline, so feasibly chewing gum _could_ work. He didn’t want to go out of his way to argue with Mark though- “Ethan’ll back me up! Isn’t that bullshit??” The man wore a playful grin, obviously expecting Ethan to be on his side.

“Actually,” he put his tongue between his teeth to smother his giggle, “I think that it would make your jaw bigger-” 

“NO. Wrong. You’re all wrong there is no way that a piece of gum-” 

“Your jaw muscle is on top of your bone! Chewing gum would exercise that muscle! Therefore your jaw would get BIGGER!” Ethan wore a shit-eating grin, wide enough to make his cheeks hurt. He felt like he was having the “wicked witch of the west bro” argument, and he loved it.

Mark rolled his eyes, a wide smile also decorating his cheeks, “No! Ethan, what muscles are on your jaw BONE? None on the bone! How are you gonna sit there and tell me that chewing will change _bone_??”

The two argued for a good bit more, both laughing so hard between shouts that the conversation was barely comprehensible. Mark’s family sat and watched in awe as the two argued with seamless banter, the joking light never fading from their eyes, which stared into the other’s with pure adoration.

Mark’s cousin, Yelim, sat forward, “So, guys,” they stopped their shouting match and turned to face her, “When’s the wedding?”

Ethan turned a comical shade of red, while Mark turned his loud voice on her, making outlandish accusations that didn’t even make sense, making Ethan giggle every few minutes. 

Eventually, after his whole face was sore from laughter, he excused himself to use the restroom.

After drying his hands, he pulled the bathroom door open, only to be met with Sunok’s kind face, “Ethan, I wanted to talk to you.”

Worried he had done something wrong he nodded, silently urging her to continue, “I see the way Mark looks at you... he hasn’t been this happy in a long time...please make sure you keep the bond you two have. It’s love, I’m almost one hundred percent sure.” Her voice was gentle, as if worried she would scare Ethan off.

The brunette stared at her soft eyes, was he in love with Mark? Sure he thought the man was attractive, and loved spending time with him...loved when he woke up first and got to see Mark’s face scrunched up in concentration, his dreams always active as he was. Ethan wanted to wake up every morning to that face...eat breakfast with him, relax in bed with him...shit.

Sunok smiled, seemingly noticing his realization, “Come outside when you’re ready, I’ll talk to Mark later, but I think he already knows he loves you.” She smiled and walked back outside, leaving Ethan alone in the hallway, the bathroom light still on behind him. 

He was in...love? With Mark? The idea didn’t seem as outlandish as he would’ve thought it would be. He glanced at the older man through the glass sliding door, his almond eyes crinkled as he held a lively conversation with his cousin.

Yeah, love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, sorry about the long break! i’ve been writing this as much as i can between homework, but it’s a lot lol
> 
> anyways home you liked this chapter!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh i think someone might be realizing their feelings 😳
> 
> also warning: slight smut in this but it not what you think!! (sometimes i go into tangents that i don’t even realize im going into until i’m too attached to leave it out of the story lol so enjoy that)

Ethan stared at Sunok as she retreated back to the patio, the sliding glass door giving a gentle _click_ as it closed. Her words echoed in his ears, _It’s love, I’m almost one hundred percent sure._ Was he really in love? Turning off the bathroom light, the boy treaded towards the back door. His hand hovered over the handle, his eyes watching Mark’s wide smile, his hands waving wildly in the air as he told a riveting story. He had only known the other man for a few weeks, yet he felt a deep connection like he’d never be able to leave Mark’s side at the end of all this. Ethan’s chest squeezed with a familiar feeling although he couldn’t quite place where he’d felt it before. His heart seemed to be tight with the feeling, his stomach churning and sending a fluttery feeling throughout his torso. When had he felt this before? Sighing, he finally slid the door open, stepping out into the humid air and reclaiming his seat next to Mark. The thoughts still swirled in his mind, the strange feeling never once leaving as he caught up with Mark’s exciting story about his mother’s dog leaving “poopy handprints” all over his old room.

Ethan smiled, the older man was a great story teller, always getting Ethan’s attention and holding it, a feat that was actually quite impressive. As time wore on, the sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting everything in an orange-pink glow. The sky was punctuated with shining clouds, seemingly lit up from the inside with a bright glow of the sun. However, the brunette wasn’t watching the sunset, instead, his eyes trailed Mark’s form, taking in his strong arms and hands, his dark hair pulled into a small bun at the back of his head. The honey glow of the sky made his skin seem golden, like the eighth wonder of the world. The swirling feeling in Ethan’s gut only increased as he sat there admiring the older man. 

It hit him like a heavy wave in a stormy sea, the feeling was so familiar, it shocked Ethan when he finally recognized it. It was the feeling he had around Matt, or that is, _had_ had around Matt, before this whole ordeal. Every morning after a night spent together, waking up to Matt’s arms around him, late nights watching scary movies that Ethan both hated and loved. Hated them because they scared the shit out of him, but loved because Matt would wrap him up in his embrace, making him feel safe and warm. The memories were bittersweet now, though, the rose tint tainted by the soured feelings he felt towards the man now. Did he really feel the same way towards Mark? Was it only because he was so vulnerable after losing Matt? What if he was making the wrong decision again and Mark would be just as bad, or worse, as Matt was?

One glance towards the zephyr-like man beside him silenced these thoughts. Mark met his gaze with a soft smile wrapping his arm around the young boy, pulling him close as the air turned chilled with the absence of the sun. Mark was nothing like Matt. Mark was kind, loving, gentle, and never made Ethan feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. He could feel safe in falling for Mark. He smiled at these thoughts, mind seemingly made up in an argument he hadn’t even realized he was having with himself. 

Ethan’s eyes fluttered shut, his overthinking had taken all of his energy, as plentiful as it was. He leaned heavily on Mark, allowing the other to continue his conversation with his family, but still getting to enjoy stealing the warmth that radiated off of the other.

¥•¥  
  


Ethan woke to being gently nudged by Mark, his mouth opening involuntarily around a yawn as he stared up at dark toffee eyes, “What time is it?” His words were slightly slurred with sleep. He reached up, rubbing his eyes to clear his vision.

“Just a little past midnight,” Mark paused and held out his hand, offering to help Ethan stand, “Sorry, we got caught up in talking, we can go home now, uh- back to the inn.” The tired boy gratefully accepted Mark’s outstretched hand, pulling himself up and following the other man through the house and out the front door. It seemed as though everyone else had gone to bed, save for one of Mark’s cousins, who waved goodbye as they shut the front door of Mark’s mother’s house and turned the porch light on. 

Ethan’s sluggish mind barely registered Mark’s hand still clutched lightly in his own, their shoulders brushing as they walked. The brunette let out another yawn, blinking the tears that formed out of his eyes, trying to bring the dirt road back into focus. God, he was so tired just from thinking. He couldn’t wait to go back to the room and climb into bed with Mark as his personal heater.

“That’s sweet, Eth, I’m tired too, we should sleep in tomorrow.” 

Flushing, Ethan realized he had said his thoughts out loud, “Oh I didn’ mean to say that out loud,” he whined bringing his hands up to cover his face. In doing so, he disconnected his and Mark’s linked grip, which saddened him for a moment before he brought his hands back down and Mark swiftly returned their hands to their previous positions. Ethan smiled, this was nice. Just being in Mark’s presence and noticing the little things that the man did that made Ethan’s heart stutter made him almost forget why he was here in the first place.

Mark broke the comfortable silence that had fallen over them, “Hey, I have something to tell you, but I think you’re too tired right now to even remember when you wake up, so I’ll tell you in the morning, ok?”

Ethan nodded mindlessly, he really was too tired to do much of anything. He dipped in and out of consciousness as they approached the inn, letting Mark’s strong grip guide him passed the front door and up the creaky stairs. He blinked and they were at the bed, he quickly stripped out of his pants and climbed into the bed, not caring about Mark’s eyes trailing his small frame as he layed out across the mattress, “Don’ forget to tell me in the morning,” he mumbled, “You look funny right now with your hair all messy,” he giggled slightly, closing his eyes as Mark slid under the sheets next to him, nimble fingers reaching over and shutting the bedside lamp off.

“You look beautiful right now.”

The low thrum of Mark’s words lulled him to sleep, his tired mind not giving him the chance to respond, but his stomach fizzled happily like Zotz candies as he drifted into unconsciousness.

¥•¥  
  


Ethan woke up, but only to the state where he was slightly aware of his surroundings, but not fully conscious. A warm, heavy weight draped across his back, wrapping around his chest and holding him to something solid and equally cozy. He sighed contently and snuggled back further into the heat, not wanting to ever leave the comfort he was feeling now.

The warmth behind him shifted, mumbling incoherently about someone named Chica. Ethan’s mind was pulled from it’s foggy state, the cogs in his brain slowly turning and processing where he was. Wait. He turned his head quickly, but still careful not to jostle the man next to him. The man...spooning him? A dark blush spread across the brunette’s cheeks, how had he not noticed them moving closer during the night? He was usually a pretty light sleeper. Though now that he thought about it, with Mark he seemed to sleep better, at least, his sleep seemed deeper as though his body felt completely safe in Mark’s presence. He layed there, basking in the warmth of the morning, he didn’t know what time it was, but his internal clock said somewhere around nine or nine thirty. Despite the initial shock of waking up with warm arms wrapped around him, something he had yet to admit to missing, Ethan felt an aura of content as he layed next to Mark. This felt natural, like the first time he ever kissed a boy.

When he was growing up, he had been taught that straight was the “norm”, he had never even entertained the idea of liking boys, sticking to dating girls, even sleeping with them, until one fateful night when he was at a halloween party at eighteen, his senior year of high school. He had had more than a few drinks, stumbling around and singing obnoxiously along with the music, barely able to stand on his own. Naturally, he was with friends, messing around and making stupid jokes until his friend Drew said he had wanted to step outside to get some air. Ethan was the only one willing to go with him, the other members of the group too caught up in the party to ever want to leave. The two had gone outside and shared a drunken conversation, Ethan couldn’t even remember what they had been talking about, but one thing led to another and they were leaning in and Drew was pressing Ethan against the fake wood siding of the house. They had made out for a short while, eventually pulling away, having a quiet conversation to never talk about it again, and walking back into the party like nothing happened. But it wasn’t nothing for Ethan. He woke up the next morning still at the house where the party was held, his head pounding. Why had that kiss felt _right_?

The thoughts plagued his mind for weeks after until Drew invited him to sleep over at his place, claiming he had scored some alcohol and that they should hang out and drink and play video games. Even though they hadnt brought up the make out session, things had flowed naturally between the two, it really was like nothing happened. 

Ethan agreed and went over to Drew’s house that night, ready for a few rounds of Call of Duty, maybe some MarioKart if they got really drunk. A few hours in, and after a few bottles of wine, (apparently the only things Drew was able to steal from a local CVS because they didn’t have alarm caps) Ethan and Drew were sprawled out on the carpet of Drew’s room, which took up the entirety of the basement of his house. In the spur of the moment, Ethan had suggested they sneak out of the house and go to the neighborhood pool, which was closed but didn’t really have anything to stop them from going night swimming. Drew had excitedly agreed, in the way teenagers often do to stupid ideas, and they promptly climbed out of the ground-level window on the far side of the basement. They ran through the streets of the neighborhood, laughing loudly and shushing each other every three seconds.

They made it to the pool, the lights were off and the water was freezing, but the pair stripped to their underwear and jumped in. After about twenty minutes of splashing each other in the icy water they decided it would be best to go home, not keen to getting caught semi-naked in a public place late at night. Giggling at their own stupidity, the two young boys ran back home not even bothering to throw their clothes back on. 

They made it back to Drew’s room without a hitch, changing into dry clothes and opening their last bottle of wine. The wine was horrendous, the bitter fruity flavor seemed to seep all the moisture from Ethan’s mouth, but God did he love the effects. One of Ethan’s friends, Gary, called them, laughing and saying that he heard them running down the street giggling like maniacs. The two boys cackled at this, knowing they probably woke up at least a dozen more houses. Gary jokingly asked them what they were doing alone together, and Ethan quickly quipped back that they were obviously sleeping together, the biggest secret of the school, according to his drunken ramblings. Gary laughed but had to hang up, saying he would get caught by his mom for staying up too late if he stayed on the line. Drew and Ethan looking at the phone then each other, started howling with laughter, Drew mocking Ethan’s ridiculous story about them having an “affair”.

After they calmed down, faces still strung wide with giddy smiles, Drew suddenly faced Ethan from his seat on the carpeted floor, “What if we did?”

Ethan smiled, “Did what?” He took another swig of the foul liquid, grimacing at the dry slide down his throat. 

Drew’s face took on a mischievous smile, “Y’know..slept together.” He was looking at the brunette expectantly, tipping him off that he was being serious.

Eyebrows raised, Ethan replied, “Really..?”

“Yeah, we have to pinkie promise not to tell _anyone_ though. Not even Gary.”

Ethan considered for a moment, should they really have sex? He wanted it he realized now that he was thinking about it, he had wanted it since that first kiss and apparently so had Drew, “Okay,” he grinned, an excited bubble expanding in his chest as he stared into Drew’s soft brown eyes. 

“Ok,” Drew said quietly, just above a whisper. 

And then they reached for each other, hands curious and unfamiliar with intimacy. Drew leaned forward first, capturing Ethan’s lips with his own, moving them expertly. _Where had Drew learned to kiss like this?_ Ethan’s thoughts were quickly silenced, Drew’s hands taking the forefront of his attention. Tanned hands ran up and down Ethan’s chest, clearly used to breasts being there, but not letting it deter him in the slightest. Pulling back Drew stood up and motioned for Ethan to follow him to his bed. Shyly, the young brunette climbed onto the soft comforter, giggling when Drew immediately lunged back in, surging up. 

Ethan made a whimpering noise, flushing at his noisiness, but Drew didn’t seem to mind at all, pressing the brunette into the blankets and slotting himself between Ethan’s thighs pressing their bodies together. Another high keening noise erupted from Ethan, swallowed by Drew’s open mouthed kisses and wandering tongue. Ethan’s hands ran up Drew’s stomach, lifting his shirt as they made their journey to his neck, finally pulling the fabric off of the boy on top of him.

The two broke apart, panting heavily, Drew’s long black hair hung in Ethan’s face, casting shadows over his eyes, pupils blown wide with lust, “How exactly do you want to do this? I’ve never really been with a guy.” The admission was sheepish, but it made Ethan feel more comfortable with the both of them being inexperienced.

A thought popped into Ethan’s mind and it made his stomach roll with heat, “I want to try something...tell me if you want me to stop.” Ethan pushed lightly at Drew’s arms, the other boy getting the message and climbing off of the brunette under him. Ethan made quick work of his shirt, not wanting Drew to feel more exposed, and gently nudged the other’s chest until his was laying on his back. Thin fingers pulled at the fabric of Drew’s sweats, tugging them down down down until his boxers were the last piece of clothing separating Ethan from his goal. A light dusting of pink appeared his cheeks at noticing the bulge in Drew’s shorts, apparently they were both excited. A shy smile appeared across Ethan’s face as he looked at Drew for permission to continue. After recieving a small nod, the brunette pulled the black briefs off of his friend, taking in the visual in front of him. 

“Is this too far?” Ethan’s voice was quiet, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere that had settled around them. 

“If you’re gonna do what I think you are, then I’m not gonna stop you,” Drew chuckled lightly calming the boy’s nerves.

“I’ve never done this before... so you can tell me what to do if you don’t like something,” although he was still blushing, a strange air of confidence overtook Ethan’s form.

He leaned down, lower body flat against the bed as he hovered over Drew’s dick. He had never been this close to another dude’s junk before, but then again, he was more turned on than he had ever been before. He glanced up, meeting Drew’s dark gaze, and took the head of the other’s cock into his mouth. He flexed his tongue, experimenting with the feeling in his mouth. Drew let out a moan, clearly enjoying the experience. Deciding it would be better to just dive right in, Ethan took a deep breath and slid down until he felt the head of Drew’s dick hit the back of his throat. He moaned, confused as to why this was the hottest thing he had ever experienced, but he was enjoying the noises Drew was making nonetheless. He pushed further down, gagging slightly and pulled back up, hollowing his cheeks the way girls had done for him in the past.

Ethan was already close to coming and he hadn’t even touched himself, the realization scared him a little, but the feeling was soon overtook by Drew thrusting up into his mouth, “S-sorry, you’re so good at this Ethan, I can’t even speak,” he moaned, grasping his fingers in the brunette locks still bobbing on his dick.

God, Ethan was going to come—

His eyes snapped open, the open window across the room letting in a gentle breeze. Then he noticed a hand on his shoulder, the light shaking that had woken him up. He turned, rolling over to see Mark smiling fondly at him, “Hey, sorry to wake you, but you were making noises, thought you might be having a nightmare.”

Ethan blushed, now remembering his dream and it’s contents. He wanted that with Mark. More than that, he wanted the love he had felt for Matt before, the mutual knowledge that he had someone that loved him unconditionally. Instead of voicing this, Ethan just smiled, “Yeah, there were these crazy zombies...” he trailed into a bullshit story about a scary dream that hadn’t happened, Mark hanging on every word. He did feel bad about having a raunchy dream right next to Mark, but he felt more relieved that he didn’t have a boner. He continued pulling the story out of his ass, his improv skills were honestly kind of impressive.

As he reached the end of his story, he was hit with a foggy memory of the night before. He wondered what the older man had to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked this, i’ve never written smut so i hope it’s not awkward, idk if i’ll do that again, maybe i will if it feels right (some of this chapter is from my own experiences don’t break into public pools!! i’m not condoning underage drinking either, it’s just common so i put that in bc it helped the story)
> 
> i have plans for the next chapter so the plot will pick up again soon lol sorry for kind of getting lost in building ethan and mark’s relationship
> 
> anyways! have a great day/night!! love you!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone for reaching 2000 hits i’m so happy you enjoy this fic!! hope this chapter fulfills your expectations :D
> 
> p.s. this chapter is in marks pov because it just felt right to write it from his perspective ha

Mark stared unashamedly at the boy across from him. After waking up and getting ready, they had come downstairs for a late breakfast. Ethan was glowing, not that he ever didn’t take Mark’s breath away. Judging from strained noises and lots of shuffling, the younger man had presumably had a nightmare this morning, Mark hoped that he woke him up before things got too scary. 

Pausing his rant on why Sony was the best camera company to ever walk the Earth, Ethan’s riptide eyes glanced up at him, the boy’s cheeks lighting up when he found the older man staring. Mark didn’t care that he had been caught, though. He could look at Ethan all day. Sighing contently, he lifted the short silence that had fallen over them after he had been caught staring, “Remember I had something to tell you last night?”

Ethan nodded, mouth curving into a smile, “Yeah, I meant to ask you about that, but I forgot,” he giggled, hiding his mouth with a delicate hand.

Mark had to stop himself from leaning across the table and taking the boy’s hand, wanting to see his soft lips curled with joy. He was enraptured with the younger man, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of his days with him. Mark wasn’t one to get easily attached, but with Ethan, everything was easy. He laughed more than he had in years, he felt warm and content falling asleep next to the boy, nothing could have ever prepared him for this perfect human when he first left his home to visit his mother. He would never have thought someone like Ethan would stumble into his life. 

“Yeah,” he forced himself out of his thoughts, wanting to share his news with the brunette, “About what I wanted to tell you, last night I was talking with my cousins, you fell asleep so I don’t think you heard any of it,” he smiled, eyes crinkling at the sight of the flushed figure in front of him.

“Sorry for falling asleep on you, you were just warm,” Ethan said bashfully, reaching up to push his hair from his face, something Mark would never get tired of.

“Don’t apologize, it was cute, but that’s not what I was trying to say.” He inhaled, not sure how Ethan would react, “I’m supposed to be leaving soon to go back home, all of my family that’s visiting is leaving too. So I asked my cousin if she would stay for a little longer so you could take her ticket back to LA. She said you absolutely could, so if you want...you can come back to mine before we send you home.”

Mark held his breath, unsure of how Ethan would feel about this, was he tired of seeing Mark every day? He _was_ forced to spend time with him after all, he was the only person Ethan had right now. That’s another reason Mark continued to hide his feelings from the boy, Ethan was so vulnerable after Matt left him here, he didn’t want to take advantage of the man’s unsure situation.

“Back to LA?” Ethan was the picture of disbelief, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide. Mark was worried for a second before the other responded excitedly, “ _I_ live in LA!” He laughed, a sound not unlike the tickling of bells when you enter a small bookstore, something that reminded him of Ethan. The warm, exciting feeling of the knowledge and fantastical worlds being at the tips of your fingers, the smell of dust on the shelves, which should be gross but somehow it feels like home. Ethan felt like home. 

Pushing aside his ~~love drunk~~ rampant thoughts, Mark let the new information wash over him. Ethan lived in LA? They somehow lived in the same city in the same state and had never crossed paths? The shock made Mark’s breath catch and his chest feel tight with disbelief, “How have we never met? I mean, LA is a big city, but I would never have forgotten your face.”

Mark blushed lightly at his small confession, but Ethan didn’t seem to mind, in fact he smiled brightly, “Aw thanks, Markimoo.” the nickname made Mark roll his eyes, “Where in LA do you live? I would have recognized you probably if I’d seen you before.”

“I live near Glendale, right by _Hybrid Wellness_ you know the crossfit slash physical therapy place?” Mark was excited now, what if he got to see Ethan all the time? 

“Oh, I think I’ve seen that place once or twice! I live about thirty minutes away...well Matt does, I think my apartment is farther, but my landlords probably going to kill me after being away for so long anyways.” He smiled sadly, as if his landlord was used to late payments, but this one the young man knew would be inexcusable.

“Hey, I already said this, but you can stay with me as long as you want.” He hoped his face didn’t give away how much he wanted Ethan to stay with him, to never leave. God, if he could have one wish it would be for Ethan to never leave his side. He wanted to hold him for the rest of time and then some. The boy never had a dull moment, his voice put Mark at ease in a way he often couldn’t find himself.

“So you really don’t mind if I stay a little at your place? I just need to save up some money and my landlord would probably let me rent the apartment again...” Ethan’s hazel eyes were focused on the table, his hands twisting together, giving away his nerves.

Wanting to spare the boy the embarrassment of sitting facing each other after he confessed his need for help, Mark stood, offering a hand to Ethan, something that was now second nature around the other, “Let’s go on a walk, we’ve been in here too long.”

As if he knew exactly what Mark was trying to do, Ethan smiled and stood, following Mark out the front door, but never dropping his hand. That’s something Mark had noticed over the short time he’d known Ethan. He was a physical guy, always wanting to be touching in some way, not that Mark minded. Ethan swung their hands as they walked down the hill towards the small market and his mom’s neighborhood. The trees danced in the wind, branches creaking and swishing, creating their very own cacophony of sounds. This was one thing about Korea that Mark would never grow tired of, especially his hometown. The market made him feel like a child every time he went no matter how many times he visited. His neighborhood hadn’t changed a bit, the same houses and mailboxes, the same broken down playground near the entrance. He should take Ethan there, something tells him that the boy would love it. His neverending energy always endeared Mark, the way he bounced around and rambled about anything and everything. Mark felt a twinge of irritation when he remembered that Matt had almost ruined that part of Ethan, always scolding him for it instead of appreciating it, and even going as far as to scare him as if his small tangents weren’t the most adorable thing in the world. He could get lost in the brunette’s eyes when he lamented about frogs or his favorite colors, or even crazy theories he made up on the spot, mind jumping from idea to idea. Mark was so at peace, musing about Ethan while said man skipped alongside him. Not even the buzzing of bees passing them or jabbering crows interrupted the aura of content settled around the pair. That is, until a certain loud someone snaps Mark out of his dreamy haze.

The certain loud someone being Ethan who gasped, sending Mark’s heart shooting through his ribcage in alarm, “Jesus Christ, _what_?”

Ethan’s hand dropped from its place in Mark’s, curling in to protect himself, he immediately cringed and his face dropped, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to, I just saw that little trail going into the woods and got excited, I’ll try not to do that in the future.” He apologized so quickly that it took a second for Mark to process why he was even saying sorry in the first place. 

Realization crept into Mark’s features, his tone must’ve sounded angry, when in reality he was just taken by surprise. He probably sounded like Matt. The man voiced his thoughts, tone littered with sincerity, “No, Eth, I wasn’t mad, you just scared me,” He used his hand, the one Ethan had dropped, to tilt said boy’s chin up, “I’m sorry I was loud, I didn’t mean to remind you of him.”

Ethan gave a watery smile, placing his hand on top of Mark’s and leaning in, not hugging him, but waiting for strong arms to wrap around his small frame, which Mark gladly did, “Thank you, Mark...I didn’t even realize why that made me upset...I guess you did sound like Matt for a second,” He pulled back and saw Mark’s face, the epitome of guilt, and leaned back in, tucking his chin on the older man’s shoulder, “Oh..Mark..it’s ok, I’m not upset, I just got scared.”

Mark squeezed the brunette in his arms, feeling a deep pit of regret form in his chest, knowing he’d have to be more careful in the future, “Why are you comforting me?” he huffed out a laugh, pressing his nose into Ethan’s neck, savoring the smell of the man’s shampoo. He pulled back, smiling at the shorter man, “Let’s explore that trail, yeah?”

Ethan clapped excitedly and took Mark’s hand back in his, he saw Mark’s surprised expression and giggled, “Can’t be getting lost now can we?”

Mark rolled his eyes playfully and let himself be tugged deeper into the woods.

¥•¥

The sun almost disappeared through the thick canopy above them, casting them in shadows and cooling their skin. Korea was humid, but Mark couldn’t bring himself to mind when Ethan was skipping in front of him, marveling at the small toadstools that sprouted against the base of a tree nearby.

“Mark, look!” The older man looked up to see Ethan crouched low to the ground, pointing at a single flower that had somehow pushed through the tree roots around it and bloomed. The flower was a soft blue. Now that he thought about it, it reminded him of Ethan for both it’s beauty and resilience despite difficult circumstances. He opened his mouth to tell the other, but was stopped by a loud snapping noise coming from behind them. They were fairly deep in the woods, having been walking for about an hour or so, so Mark wasn’t keen to hear what sounded like human footsteps approaching them.

He quickly turned and was met with the sight of an old man, not terribly aged, maybe around sixty or perhaps his late fifties. Something about him seemed off, but Mark couldn’t quite place it, “Who are you?” The sentence was in English, which he quickly corrected, “What are you doing out in the woods?”

Probably hearing Mark speak in Korean, Ethan turned around in confusion, “What was that-” he cut himself off, seeing the reason for the change in language.

“Can’t an old man enjoy a walk in the woods?” His voice was raspy, and there was a gleam in his eyes that made Mark uneasy. Something was clearly off about this guy, but he didn’t want to assume things and make the man mad. 

So instead, he nods as if the explanation satisfied him, “Well, we were actually just about to head back, so enjoy your walk.” His voice was curt, he felt a little bad for being slightly rude to a possibly nice man, but something told Mark that wasn’t the case.

“C’mon Eth,” he glanced backwards, taking Ethan’s hand and beginning to walk back the way they came. Ethan seemed to pick up on something in his voice, because he didn’t say anything, following closely behind Mark as they slowly put more and more distance between themselves and the strange old man.

Mark turned slightly, not wanting to be obvious in his paranoia, but was met with just the slightly overgrown trail and gently swaying trees.

Ethan’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts, but he remained on edge, the worrying feeling not going away, “What was that, Mark? What did he say?”

Mark met the brunette’s gaze, trying to be reassuring, but something felt so wrong, “He said he was just enjoying a walk...something was wrong though, he gave me the heebie jeebies.” Ethan giggled at his choice of words, seemingly not feeling the tension still lingering in the air.

Mark felt as though someone were following them, couldn’t help but think it was the man. Had he ever seen him before? Ethan’s worried voice seemed too loud, “Mark...I don’t remember coming this way..”

A frantic energy swept through the larger man, anxiety crawling through his veins, had they gone deeper into the woods? He tries to remember their surroundings when the man had approached them. Ethan had been looking at that flower...had Mark turned to see him? Didn’t the old man come from the woods? Or did he come from the street and Mark had led them deeper into the forest? His thoughts raced, he quickly spun, not liking the shadows cast by the trees anymore.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around, what if that man came back and hurt Ethan? He would never forgive himself. But, when he turned, he was met with kind eyes and a soft smile, “Hey, don’t freak out, let’s just keep walking, I probably just wasn’t paying attention when we were coming in. I didn’t mean to worry you.” His voice had an instantaneous effect on Mark, his shoulders visibly relaxing and he let out a long breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“You're right, I shouldn’t be so jumpy about some random guy. But for the record, if we die I’m blaming you.” His eyes held Ethan’s in a mock-serious scold, the younger man giggling and leading them further in the direction they had been going.

While the unease hadn’t quite left Mark’s mind, Ethan’s presence quelled it greatly. He focused on attempting to recognize landmarks they might have passed on the way in, noticing now exactly _how_ focused he had been on the smaller man in front of him when they were walking into the woods. He recalled almost none of the journey on the trail, now relying solely on Ethan for guidance. Not that he wouldn’t trust Ethan with his life, he would in a heartbeat, he just wasn’t sure if the other had been paying attention either.

After a few more minutes, Mark’s anxiety began to creep up again until Ethan ran over to a large tree, excitedly waving him over, “Look, Mark! The toadstool I saw earlier! We went the right way after all!” 

A tsunami of relief washed over Mark, he hadn’t realized how worked up he had been, checking behind them constantly, muscles tense and ready to protect Ethan at any sign of danger. Maybe he was being overprotective, but he couldn’t help it after seeing the younger hurt so deeply. He knew Matt had effected Ethan more than the boy was letting on, maybe more than even Ethan knew. Probably trust issues and self esteem issues, not to mention the fact that he literally sexually assaulted the brunette, taking advantage of him when he was drunk. Anger sizzled in his stomach, he made sure to keep it in check, not wanting Ethan to pick up on it.

A few paces later, sunlight began peeking through the canopy above them, hinting to the approaching entrance to the trail they had gone through at the beginning of all this. Ethan glanced back at Mark as they exited the treeline and smiled, aware the older man was deep in thought, “You want to walk to the market now? We could go a little passed it today and see what’s down there! Although you probably already know seeing as it’s your hometown, oh yeah, do you know everyone? I knew everyone in my town before I moved out to LA, it wasn’t a super small town, but small enough so I met everyone at least once...” Mark let him trail off into ramblings, usually he would actually listen, but his mind was still caught on the old man in the woods. Where had he seen him before? 

“Sorry if I’m talking too much... I noticed you aren’t really listening like usual..not that I mind! I know I’m probably exhausting to listen to all the time, so I get that you probably need a break—” he was cut off by Mark’s hand on his, dark eyes soft and loving. The dark haired man never wanted Ethan to feel like he was a burden or annoying. He deserved so much more than that.

Instead of letting the boy overthink, Mark explained his prolonged silence, “I’m just still thinking about that old man we saw in the forest,” he paused, watching Ethan’s eyes grow worried, “I definitely know him, and he gave me a really bad feeling, though I can’t place where I know him from,” he explained, carding his hand through his hair that had sweat beading at the edges. 

Ethan nodded, “Was he someone you knew when you were little?”

“Yeah, probably, I don’t really come here as often as I would like and it’s not like mysterious strangers pop up all the time.” He winked at Ethan, knowing he was a welcome exception.

Ethan opened his grinning mouth to respond, but he apparently caught something in his peripheral, turning to see it fully. Mark copied his movements, wondering what had caught the other’s attention. It was the old man, following them down the hill to the market, tagging along far enough behind that they wouldn’t hear his footsteps, but close enough to keep them in his sights.

That uneasy feeling bloomed in Mark’s chest again, but he didn’t feel like running like he did in the woods. Since the pair had paused, the old man was closing the distance between them, not slowing or giving any sign he had seen them stop. Mark’s feet began to move forward of their own accord, he didn’t even realize until he was right in front of the man, sizing him up.

It would’ve been funny seeing a muscular young guy standing so threateningly to an elderly man, except the sensation of bugs crawling over skin distracted Mark from the comedic aspects of the situation, “I’ll ask again, since last time you didn’t seem to understand, what are you doing?” His voice always got deeper when he spoke in Korean, but now was probably unrelated to the language and had more to do with the anger rolling off of him in waves. He just knew this guy was after Ethan and it was all he could do to stop himself from clocking him here and now.

Ethan caught up, standing anxiously beside his larger counterpart, “Mark, what’s going on?”

His question went ignored, the older man stepping closer to Ethan with a smile, earning a warning hand on his withered chest from Mark, “Whatever you’re doing, or whatever you’re going to say to him, you can do it from here.” Mark had never heard himself so hostile before, his voice sounding alien even to himself.

“Surely you remember me, Mark. It hasn’t been that long since I last saw you.” The old man spoke in English this time, never once taking his eyes off Ethan, who shifted under his gaze.

“What?” Mark genuinely didn’t remember this guy, was he senile? Maybe, that would explain the nonsensical way he behaved.

“Ethan should know me. He spent so long with my Matt.” Vulture eyes pierced Ethan’s figure, stapling him to the ground and stopping his breath in his chest. 

“You know Matt?” The name sounded heavy in Ethan’s mouth, like the word itself would bring the man back into his life. The old man’s smile grew, showing off yellowed teeth along with one silver canine.

“Of course, he’s my son, and after all he’s told me about you, I really thought he must have been exaggerating...but it seems he was right. You really are a nasty slut, bouncing from one man to the next, only pausing to take their dignity and their money.” The words felt like a slap to the face, and they weren’t even directed at Mark, he couldn’t imagine what Ethan felt like. Why did Matt seem to crop up at the worst of times? 

Mark opened his mouth to defend his Et- his friend, when the boy in question stepped forward into the old man’s space himself, “I don’t know how much Matt payed you to come give me his dumbass little monologue, but he must’ve forgotten that I truly cared for him. I know his dad died years ago, and that all his remaining family moved to Europe. Unlike him I paid attention and loved him, so you can take your sorry ass back to Matthew and tell him I said to fuck off.” His voice never wavered, making a bubble of pride swell in Mark’s chest. He didn’t know what was going on in the brunette’s mind, but he finally seemed confident in his distaste for Matt. No longer unsure about his feelings. It made Mark happier than he could express.

The old man on the other hand, looked about as shocked as he’d ever seen. His mouth opened and closed, searching for words he could seem to find. Eventually, he settled on, “He gave me five hundred dollars, what did you expect me to do?”

Mark glared at him, “You’re the worst kind of person, I hope one day you realize that.”

“C’mon Mark, I need a nap.” Ethan’s voice still showed no signs of distress, he took Mark’s hand and led him back towards the inn.

A few silent moments passed, and Mark started to worry that the old man’s words had actually gotten to Ethan. That is, until the boy stopped walking next to him, Mark turned to see him hunched over hands on his knees, his whole body shaking. Mark reached out to comfort him, but was stopped by the giggles finally forcing their way out of the smaller man’s chest, “I- I can’t believe he gave some random man,” he wheezed wiping tears from his eyes, “He gave some random man _five hundred dollars_ to call me a slut.” He laughed hysterically, using Mark’s shoulder as support, his legs going weak with his delight.

Slowly but surely, Ethan’s giggling passed on to Mark, the older man starting to chuckle along with the brunette. A wide smile split Ethan’s face as they continued their walk back up the hill, a few hours had passed and it was nearing three in the afternoon. Ethan was still laughing quietly when they made it back to their room.

“You sure that didn’t bother you, Eth?” The last thing Mark wanted was to laugh off something that had genuinely upset the other, but Ethan waved him off smiling.

“Mark, this is going to sound stupid, but with you, I feel nothing but happy. You make me feel good.” He was blushing, his mousy hair falling into his eyes, which were cast at the floor in embarrassment.

Mark smiled, walking forward to envelope the smaller man in an embrace, “I’m glad, you really are beautiful, Eth.” He pulled back slightly, if only to stare into blue eyes, “Were you serious about that nap? Cause I could definitely go for one.” 

Ethan giggled, “Yeah that actually sound really nice...I think we should shower first though, we’re kind of sweaty and I don’t want the bed to be dirty.”

“Wow that was very forward of you, I’m impressed, Ethan,” he laughed at the other’s confused expression, “I mean first you want to meet my family then you’re wanting to shower together? Never took you for the type.”

Face flushed red, Ethan slapped Mark’s shoulder, “You know that’s not what I meant! I’m going first since you don’t know how to act!” His faux anger only endeared Mark as he watched him grab his toiletries bag and head to the bathroom.

He was in deep. He should have already known after the desire to keep Ethan forever, but he was now realizing that he wholeheartedly meant it. He wanted the other man in every sense of the word, he just hoped he would get the chance to tell him.

¥•¥  
  
After a long shower, separate from Ethan, Mark walked back into the room, feeling refreshed. The smaller man was already curled in the bed, a book in hand, one of the only accessories added to the room. Mark shook his head fondly, he knew Ethan knew not a lick of Korean, but he stared intently at the pages as though he could discern the meaning simply through the visuals. Maybe he could, it wouldn’t surprise Mark, he believed Ethan was capable of anything, after all, he made Mark fall in love in just a few weeks, how hard could anything else be?

He climbed under the sheets with the boy, rolling on his side to watch as the brunette scoured the pages, enraptured by the unfamiliar symbols, “They're really pretty, Mark. I never really got to look at Korean for this long before, it looks like it was meant to be stared at, even if you can’t understand it, y’know?”

Mark stared at the boy next to him, took in his hazel eyes flickering back and forth across the page, his nimble fingers turning the crinkly paper, his soft hair still slightly damp from the shower, “Yeah, I think I know what you mean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i kind of just write whatever i feel fits in the moment so i’m sorry if it’s weird and a little sporadic but it makes sense in my head :,) (hopefully you can see ethan finally pushing past matt and getting better at knowing his own worth!)
> 
> also i actually had this done a few days ago but the hurricane hit so i had to wait a little to post! i was so close to actually posting a decent time away from the previous chapter but i guess even god will stop me from that
> 
> anyways!! hope you enjoyed this please leave a comment even if you hated this chapter I crave feedback!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unus annus is so close to ending AH i literally don’t know what to do with myself

Ethan opened his eyes to see a sleepy Mark, dark brown eyes drooping but still watching nevertheless. While most would be uncomfortable with a person they met a week ago staring at them while they slept, Ethan felt nothing but warmth. He was so comfortable with the other man, he could enjoy watching paint dry if he had him as company. He didn’t know what time it was, they had got back around three, but he had no idea how long they’d been napping, though it was definitely worth it, the small adventure they went on had tired Ethan more than he would admit. The old man had scared him, but now he only served as a reminder of how the brunette had grown as a person while Matt was still vying for his attention. It felt like a victory, so he wasn’t upset that the old man had prematurely ended their walk, it had probably been time to head back anyways.

Mark was the one to break the silence, “Hey,” his voice was deep and husky with sleep, making something stir in Ethan’s chest, “How’s your nap going, Eth?”

God, his voice made the younger man blush, surely noticed by the man beside him, “Good, I had a dream that I saw my dog Spencer..” He had in fact had a dream about his furry companion, only now remembering it now that he spoke to Mark.

“You haven’t really talked about him since we’ve met, what breed is he?”

Ethan’s eyes lit up in excitement, he hadn’t really had time to think about Spencer, let alone talk to Mark about him, “I actually did a DNA test on him! He’s about fifty percent mixed breeds, twenty five percent german shepard, and twenty five percent australian cattle dog! He’s the bestest boy, and his ears are so soft, I can’t wait for you to meet him.” The brunette paused, realizing what he was insinuating, “That is, if you want to, or if you ever see my apartment. Also my friend Mika is watching him, I don’t even think she knows about any of this, God, I can’t wait to see her and Spence—” He cut himself off, knowing he was starting to ramble.

Mark seemed to notice this and smiled gently, “I’d love to meet them, they both sound great. Spencer sounds adorable.” He paused, shifting positions, “You want to get up and go to my mom’s for dinner? She said she was cooking tonight and I think it’s around six now.”

Ethan smiled, he loved Mark’s mom, she was one of the nicest people he had ever met. Not to mention, he had never had an actual dinner with Mark’s family since they had mostly just hung out and talked, so he was excited to say the least. He sat up, watching Mark’s eyes trail down his bare chest, his shirt having been discarded sometime during their nap, “Like what you see?”

It was a joke, but Mark nodded, “Definitely, maybe too much actually.” He sat up as well, climbing out from the warmth of the comforter and stepping into his shoes, “We should probably head out now, I wouldn’t want to be late and miss all the food.” 

Ethan, trying to hide his embarrassment, giggled and stood as well, throwing on his usual yellow hoodie and slipping his shoes on, “Is your mom a good cook? I have a feeling she is,” he opened the door, letting Mark out first and following closely behind.

The older man wore a mockingly offended expression, “You think my mother, _the Sunok Fischbach_ , would be anything less than the best? How dare you!” His joking tone was made obvious by his laughter, the older man was barely able to keep a straight face.

“Alright! You got me, I’m secretly a heartless food critic, and it’s my life goal to slander your mothers cooking!”

The two keep the bit going until they’re rounding the corner near the entrance to the neighborhood. Tears of joy roll down their cheeks, faces flushed and eyes bright with mirth. Ethan never wanted this feeling to end, he realized. Even though his whole world was turned upside down when Matt left him here, he was beginning to wonder if that’s exactly what he had needed. He liked this upside down world much better than the one he lived in before. What once were days filled with anxiety and screaming fits from his boyfriend were now days filled with warm sunshine and smiling faces. Most nights with Matt he’d go to bed with tears in his eyes, now he went to bed with his cheeks sore from smiling. Everything was better now, Mark had shown him how beautiful life could be. 

He turned his head to the man strolling beside him, a silence had fallen, now only filled with the sounds of their feet on the dirt road and the cicadas in the trees. Mark may have shown him how beautiful life could be, but he himself held a beauty Ethan could hardly believe. Not only was he gorgeous, he was so kind and thoughtful it made the brunette want to sob at the thought that this trip was soon to be over. Surprisingly, he was glad Matt had abandoned him here, otherwise he would have never met Mark, and would’ve never learned his true worth or how shitty Matt was treating him.

Eyes watering from the emotions crashing through his chest, Ethan took Mark’s hand, causing the other man to glance at him, features quickly overtaken by a worried expression, not knowing the tears were of gratitude. Ethan made sure to let him know, “Don’t worry, I’m not sad...just thinking about how glad I am that I met you. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, Mark,” the confession tumbled out of him, but he didn’t even pause, it was true after all, “I don’t want to leave you when this is all over, I want to stay with you, but we’ve only known each other for a few weeks. I probably sound crazy, but I feel like we were meant to meet, I feel such a deep connection with you—”

They had stopped walking, Ethan’s sudden outburst stopping Mark in his tracks. He had to interrupt, had to let Ethan know the feelings were reciprocated, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Yikes. That probably could’ve came out better.

Ethan’s watery eyes widened, words turning to lead in his mouth, “I know it sounds crazy, and you probably don’t even feel the same way, but it just came out...Sorry if I made things awkward now..” His eyes tracked the small insects on the ground, suddenly wishing he was one of them. God, why did he have to blurt things out? Why couldn’t he just keep his weird, creepy thoughts in his head? Mark was _definitely_ going to leave him now, maybe Matt was right and he was too clingy. Was Mark just tolerating him?

Mark soothed his racing thoughts by placing a firm hand on his shoulder, his other hand coming up to tilt Ethan’s chin so he could meet his eyes, “I swear I’m the worst at this shit, I said you’ve got to be kidding me because I thought there was no way you felt the same.”

The tears trailing down Ethan’s face began to dry, no longer being replenished by the second, “You aren’t just saying this to make me feel better right? ‘Cause if you are stop right fucking now..” His words, accented by a nervous breathy laugh, sounded pathetic even to his own ears, but he couldn’t help it. He felt an overwhelming urge to be by Mark’s side, he didn’t care if it didn’t make sense, his feelings were too strong to ignore.

Ethan’s eyes were drawn up by a low chuckle from the taller man in front of him, his strong hands were now braced on both of Ethan’s shoulders as he slowly delved into full body laughter, “I thought I was just being touch starved or missing attention, I didn’t think it was possible to care so much about someone so quickly. I can’t believe this is happening, I feel like I’m going crazy, this can’t be real.”

The younger man smiled, beginning to giggle, maybe they were _both_ crazy, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. “I’m so glad you didn’t just tell me to fuck off,” he said, attempting to lighten the subject from the stifling tension now present between the two of them. Regardless, Ethan wanted to stay with him. He wanted everything Mark wanted and he couldn’t be happier. The younger man felt his breath catch in his throat as Mark surged forward, wrapping him in a tight hug, “I might never let you go, Eth.”

“You might have to if we want to make it to your mom’s place in time for dinner.” The brunette stuck his tongue between his teeth as he smiled cheekily, he knew Mark had forgotten all about dinner.

True to his suspicions, Mark cursed and checked his watch, “We’ve gotta hurry! I am _not_ letting my cousins eat all the good stuff this year!” He grabbed Ethan’s hand and tugged him along, a new vigor erupting from the taller man as he dragged his counterpart the rest of the way down the hill.

They reached the front door, panting, faces still stretched wide with smiles. A few seconds after knocking, Sunil opened the door with a smile, “Guess who’s back from the groomer!”

Suddenly, a huge white mass filled Ethan’s vison and he was tackled to the ground. A wet tongue slobbered across his face and neck. Giggling he pushed the furry mass away and lo and behold it was the dog he had seen with Matt on his first day here. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen the dog since then, “Who is _this_?” his voice was high and babyish, something that used to annoy Matt but when he glanced at Mark all he saw was a smiling face of adoration.

“Thats my Lucy!” Mark’s mother was clearly excited, “She’s been at the groomer but she’s all done and pretty!” her voice was loud and cheerful as Lucy used Ethan as a vault and jumped into her arms. That is, attempted to jump into Sunok’s arms, she was much too large to get anything more than her front paws on the poor woman’s shoulders, tongue flicking out to give hundreds of kisses a second. 

Ethan laughed, he’d missed dogs, not to mention the lighthearted fun that always followed the furry creatures. Sunok sent Lucy to the living room where she would no doubt torment everyone with kisses and force them to pet her. 

“I was just making dinner! Mark you should have come sooner, help me make food!” She was already on her way to the kitchen where a tremendous amount of food waited. 

Ethan’s eyes widened, “You made _all this_? That’s amazing! This must’ve taken hours, do you want any help?” The offer came out naturally, he had worked in a restaurant in the kitchen for a few years, so he was sure he could help somehow. Sure he’d never made Korean food, how hard could it be? Although, usually, thinking that doesn’t turn out great, so maybe he’d just take it one step at a time.

Mark showed himself out, claiming he’d just be in the way, and went to sit with the rest of the family in the living room. Sunok turned her sharp eyes on the brunette immediately, “You can help me in here though don’t worry! I can show you recipes Mark would be jealous of,” she winked, taking his arm and tugging him into the kitchen. 

The smell of food had been prominent as soon as they had walked through the door, but in the kitchen the smell increased tenfold. Ethan’s stomach growled, making the old woman in front of him laugh, “Smells good, right? Come, I’ll show you how to make Chapchae.”

Steeling himself for failure, Ethan followed her over to the stove where various ingredients were laid out, “Here goes nothing.”

¥•¥  
An hour later in the humid kitchen, Sunok announced that everything was done. Breathing a sigh of relief, the food wasn’t terribly hard to make especially with Mark’s mother as a teacher, but he was glad to be done and ready to eat. He was so hungry, after the walk, then the nap, he could eat every dish in the kitchen and then some. Well, probably not, there were so many dishes it looked like it would feed an army, but damn it if he wouldn’t try. 

He retreated to the far side of the kitchen to make room for everyone else to make their plates, the family forming a sort of line and serving their own food in a sort of buffet-style.

Mark sidled up next to him, making the younger jump before he realized who it was, “You scared the shit out of me man!” he stage whispered, not wanting to disrupt the chatter filling the room.

“Now I want to make fun of you, but I guess in all seriousness I just wanted to say thank you for helping my mom. She loves that shit and I have a feeling she won’t stop talking about you for a while.” He playfully nudged Ethan’s shoulder, causing a spark to fly up his arm. He hadn’t forgotten their conversation on the way down the hill, he wanted to talk about it, about _them_ , but now certainly wasn’t the place.

Ethan leaned into Mark, the action felt natural, like breathing, “We should probably talk for real after this.”

Mark sighed, but not out of frustration, more like content or relief, “Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. And our flight is in two days, might want to talk about how that’s going to go down.” He turned to Ethan, a smirk on his lips. 

“Alright, but first let’s eat, I’ve been hovering over this food for like an _hour_ I’m starving!” Their turn finally came up in the line, Mark grabbing a plate and handing it to Ethan, who giggled and thanked him with a posh accent.

Eying the assortment of foods, Ethan ended up just getting what Mark grabbed, not knowing what was good but trusting that the older man had good taste. And all the food was probably delicious anyways— it sure smelled like it. Not knowing if he could wait any longer, Ethan hurried to one of the empty seats at the small breakfast table. It seemed to be the table dedicated to the younger family members, while the ‘real’ adults sat in the dining room. There weren’t any children, but the brunette couldn’t help but feel this would be considered the kids’ table if there were. He was fine with that, besides, Mark sat right next to him, elbows squished from how many people were sharing the table. 

Picking up his fork, he stabbed a cube of meat and promptly ate it. The juice melted in his mouth, he groaned, “This is so good oh my god..” He then proceeded to shovel food into his mouth at comical speeds, manners be damned he was hungry.

Mark seemed amused at least, copying his movements in an exaggerated way to mock him, which in turn made Ethan nearly choke on his food, causing the whole table to laugh. 

After a while, and a few beers in, Ethan was feeling warm and comfortable. He felt at home here, he realized. A bubbly feeling spread throughout his chest, filling a hole he didn’t even notice had formed. He hasn’t seen his own family in about a year, Matt never wanted him to travel far and refused to go with him. Frowning, Ethan took a sip of his water, mulling over memories of his family, he really should visit them soon. Maybe bring Mark. He blushed, his own thoughts surprising him, did he really want to bring Mark home to his family? The answer came just as fast: yes. He absolutely wanted to introduce the older man to his family, show him their own family recipes and maybe give him a tour of his hometown. It probably wouldn’t be as interesting as traveling to Korea, but he had a feeling it would be just as enjoyable simply because they would be together.

He felt a shoulder bump his, and turned, seeing Mark’s dark eyes shimmering with something Ethan couldn’t quite place, maybe adoration, “You ready to head out soon? We’ve been here a while just talking and stuff.”

Ethan shook his head, “We can stay later, it’s only like nine and I have a feeling your mom isn’t done with this little party yet.”

Mark smirked, “How d’you know her so well already?”

“I’m a man of many talents, one might say a jack of all trades, a show pony, a—” he stopped, laughing at Mark’s bemused expression at his antics.

The dark haired man gestured with his head towards the back patio, which was, for once, devoid of visitors, “You want to go get some air? Then we can come back in and ask my mom what she wants to do. She might even make dessert.”

Ethan smiled, Mark somehow knew what he wanted before the thought even entered his mind, “Yeah, let’s go sit out there for a while.”

They excused themselves from the table, taking their plates and placing them in the dishwasher for later. The night air was cool when they stepped outside, a welcome contrast to the usual humidity. The stars shined bright as ever, the sky clearer than it was in LA, though that wasn’t surprising, the pollution in LA was atrocious.

The two settled into the loveseat on one side of the patio, leaning back to gaze at the stars. Ethan turned to Mark, looking at his wavy hair, his dark eyes, always filled with a mischievous light but now filled only with wonder, “I love space.”

Ethan smiled, “Yeah it’s pretty cool, I like looking at the moon— really looking at it. Like all the craters and it actually does look like a sphere if you look at it the right way.” 

Mark was nodding along, but his mind was elsewhere, he eventually spoke up, voice soft and dreamy, “I like how big it is. We know so little about it, I mean, there’s infinite possibilities and it all just right there. All of the stars have their own galaxy and each galaxy probably has hundreds of planets. It’s all just so big it makes me think how insignificant we are,” at Ethan’s confused face, he clarified, “Not like, in a depressing way. Just in the way that nothing we do matters so why care about the way you dress or if everyone likes you, y’know? Like your decisions don’t matter in the grand scheme of things so just do what you want. Wear that shirt youre worried people will judge you for, get a mullet just for fun, shave your head if you don’t like it. Nothing matters and I think that’s beautiful. Its the freedom of it, really...I don’t know, I’m rambling but...I just love it.”

Ethan didn’t think he could ever be more enraptured with another human being than he was with Mark. The older man was just...he couldn’t even describe it, he just pulled the brunette in, capturing him with his words, his smile, his little habits that no one else noticed. God, it was way too early, but he might be in love. The thought scared him. But at the same time, how could anything about Mark scare him? 

The younger man rested his head on Mark’s shoulder, bringing up his legs and tucking them beneath himself, “You’re such a poetic sap, Markimoo, who knew you were secretly a philosopher?”

“You make me think about a lot of things, Eth.” He wrapped his arm around Ethan’s shoulders and pulled him impossibly closer. He hoped he’d never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! a three hour nap?? i can only dream of such a luxury...
> 
> also idk if eating “buffet-style” is a thing for anyone else but that’s how we serve our food at my house lol and it works for big groups so bear with me


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a distraction from the end of unus annus and i’m pretty sure a lot of ppl agree with me so here’s that distraction!
> 
> also! i can see the end of TIIT on the horizon! it’s both scary and exciting!! also can i point out that the abbreviation for this fic is literally “tit” like how iconic

The night before, Ethan had shared a long conversation under the stars with Mark, who apparently had a love for space. Their flight to L.A. was scheduled for Friday at 6pm, so they had the rest of the week to do whatever they wanted. To be perfectly honest, Ethan wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life here, away from all of the responsibilities he would face when he returned home. Waking up to Mark next to him every morning and falling asleep in his arms. Speaking of, although they had went to bed cuddled close as ever, they had yet to talk about their shared confessions, despite the promise to do so last night. That’s where Ethan’s mind was currently as he stared at his reflection in the old mirror in the bathroom of the inn. Mark had said he felt the same, but what if it was spur of the moment and he woke up this morning realizing this was all a mistake? Ever the overthinker, the young man’s thoughts buzzed with worry, endless possibilities and bad outcomes swirled in the forefront of his mind. Sighing, he picked his toothbrush up, he had set it down in the midst of his flurried thinking, and stuck it in his mouth. He was beginning to become tired with his own inner monologue, always bringing up the worst case scenario.

Rinsing his mouth with water, he finger combed his hair into a messy but styled look, and collected his toiletries. Walking back to the room, a movement by the window caught his eye. Quickly changing directions, he moved to the end of the hall, passed his and Mark’s room, a part of the inn he had yet to visit, despite it being mere feet away. A small bird had somehow found itself trapped on the inside of the window, yet it remained strangely calm when it saw the young man approach, almost as if it wasn’t aware it was trapped in the first place. He went over and unlatched the window, which the bird quickly flew out of, finally free of its glass prison. It was almost symbolic, but he didn’t dwell on it long. The door to the room right next to the window, the only one he hadn’t been in before, was slightly ajar, piquing the brunette’s interest.

Slowly, because for some reason he felt like he shouldn’t be snooping despite this being an empty room, his pale hand pushed the door open, the old wood creaking in protest. Just like when opening the door, his movements remained at a snail’s pace, his heart speeding up for unknown reasons. But, the room was empty. Not even a bed or dresser to disgract from the bare walls and dusty windowsill. 

Eyebrows furrowing, he walked further into the barren space, an odd feeling in his chest. There was something in the corner, he couldn’t quite make it out from where he was. Stepping closer inch by inch, he realized what the small object was. It wasn’t an object at all, it was a small blue butterfly. Although Ethan was sure it was dead, it’s wings were so vibrant that they looked almost painted. A creak sounded behind him, making him gasp, turning sharply, he saw Mark in the doorway, looking in on the strange event unfolding in front of him.

The room was dark, the window was facing the woods so the trees blocked most of the sunlight, but Ethan could make out a bright smile and teasing eyes, “Mark! You scared the shit out of me!”

The man just chuckled, “Why are you standing in the middle of an empty room? I thought you went to brush your teeth?” He stepped closer, close enough that Ethan could feel the heat radiating from him. Should he bring up last night? Well, he should probably respond before anything else and explain why he was just hanging out alone in an empty room.

“I got done brushing my teeth and i saw a bird at the window. It was stuck inside so I let it out..I guess I got curious about this room. There’s a really pretty butterfly over there, it’s dead though.” He felt strange, like he was in trouble for being here but he couldn’t help but think his feelings were irrational. 

Mark huffed out a laugh, “You’re weird, Eth. You sound like a Disney princess with all these animals.”

Ethan frowned, though his eyes still shimmered with mirth, “It’s the room that’s weird! Can’t you feel it?”

The older man glanced at the bare walls and the layer of dust on the floor, interrupted only by the fresh prints made by his and Ethan’s shoes, “Kinda. I can’t really focus on anything other than you, though,” he smirked, “You’re pretty distracting.”

Ethan blushed, was Mark flirting with him?? He should ask about last night, now was the perfect time, if he was ever going to muster up the courage, “Did you mean it?” He looked into dark toffee eyes, “What you said last night on the hill? You feel the same way about me?” His voice wavered, the words choking him on the way out.

Mark stared, looking confused, “Yeah, I told you Eth I’m crazy about you.” He at least had the decency to blush, “Every time you look at me I feel like I’m walking on air. I feel like I’m meant to be near you, _with_ you, but if you’re realizing you don’t feel the same way that’s fine. I want to be with you, in whatever way you want. You could tell me right now to get you your own room and I would.” 

It felt as though a physical weight had been lifted off of his chest, Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and jumped forward, wrapping his arms around the other man’s neck, “I’ve been thinking that you might not have meant it, or that you were gonna change your mind...sorry for overthinking so much...” He did feel bad, he had basically told Mark he didn’t trust his word, surely the man would be mad.

As always, Mark surprised him, “Don’t apologize, Eth, it shows you care. You were thinking about how your actions effected me, that’s not annoying, it’s sweet.”

The brunette pulled back, looking the older man in the eyes, trying to discern if he was telling the truth or just trying to make him feel better. Mark just rolled his eyes, “I know exactly what you’re thinking, you’re so easy to read.” The words were fond, filled with compassion and it made Ethan feel all fluttery inside.

Another part of him, his competitive side he guessed, wanted to do something Mark wouldn’t expect, wanted to make Mark the one that was a blushing mess, so he did the first thing that came to his mind. He kissed him.

Mark stood in shock, pulling back to look into hazel eyes, “Did you just-”

“Sorry, I don’t know why I di-”

Lips crashed against his own, stifling any panicky thoughts that rose when Mark had pulled away. His eyes slipped closed, falling deeper into the feeling of the man’s mouth on his. He sighs into the kiss, a blooming happiness that had now become familiar around Mark appeared in his chest.

The kiss was slow and sweet, each man pouring more emotions than they could ever say out loud into this one moment. Eventually, Ethan had to come up for air, he rested their foreheads together, noses brushing and breath mingling. He let the air fizzle with the moment, something akin to sparks clinging to the space around them. He spoke suddenly, his thoughts demanding to be heard immediately as always, “Do you believe in soulmates?”

Mark laughed and Ethan opened his eyes, seeing dark brown irises staring back at him, “If you asked me three weeks ago I’d have said no, but now...I think you know the answer.”

Ethan giggled quietly, “Yeah, but I want to hear you say it.”

“Then yes. I do believe in soulmates, Eth, because I’m one hundred percent sure you’re mine.”

Ethan’s face heated up, even though he had asked to hear the answer, “Can we get out of this room now? It’s really weirding me out.”

Mark chuckled and agreed, taking the smaller man’s hand and leading him back to their room.

After finishing their morning routine of getting dressed and sharing a few words over a light breakfast, they decided to take another walk, this time on a bike trail that Mark remembered from his childhood. 

When they had first come down, Mark had asked about the empty room, and the kind old man explained that they were going to turn it into a small lounge room but had yet to buy the furniture. This made Ethan slightly less wary of the room although he still believed there was some kind of strange energy in there. The inn owner waved them goodbye as they walked outside, the humid air immediately wrapping tight around them. When he first arrived he thought the heavy and sticky air was uncomfortable, but now Ethan found the feeling comforting. They walked the opposite direction of the market, traveling further up the hill instead. 

Ethan held Mark’s hand close, wanting to stay right by his side, both because he didn’t want to get lost, and because he liked the feeling of someone so close to him.

Matt had hated this trait, claiming he didn’t want a giant toddler hanging off of him at all times. While Ethan had laughed it off at the time, it slowly built into a source of longing for him. He had always been a touchy person, wanting to constantly be hugging or touching someone in some way. He knew not a lot of people felt the same way, but he had wished that Matt would at least entertain the thought when they were dating. Now he understood that the other man was simply an asshole. A person’s partner should never belittle the other for enjoying certain things or feeling a certain way. Mark had helped him realize that, along with the fact that his emotions and desires were valid, not childish or unreasonable.

“There’s this one place that I really want to show you, I went here all the time when I was a kid.” Mark’s deep voice brought Ethan out of his drifting thoughts, not rough like Matt’s voice used to be, but gentle, never startling the brunette or making him uncomfortable.

“I’m excited! If you like it then I’ll probably never want to leave...” He trailed off into a long tangent about loving nature and the forests and hiking trails in his own hometown.

Mark appeared happy to listen, gently running his thumb over Ethan’s hand as they walked. At a seemingly random spot on the road, the older man stopped and announced, “We’re here!”

Ethan raised an eyebrow in confusion, “This is it? No offense, the trees are pretty, but I was expecting a more secret place.” He was teasing and they both knew it but Mark grumbled in mock annoyance.

“I meant were at the start of the bike trail, dummy.” He shook his head with a smile and lead the brunette into a thin path snaking into the woods.

“How was I supposed to know? I know I’m pretty great, but I’m no mind reader!”

Their banter was probably disturbing any wildlife near them, but the two young men laughed boisterously and teased each other relentlessly as they moved further into the forest. After a short while, and with a small lull in the conversation, Ethan decided to bring up one of the random topics constantly wizzing around in his brain. Like one of those old picture books that moved if you flipped through fast enough, he sorted through the different things he could talk about. Normally he didn’t put much thought into what he said, but this walk felt special, one of their last days in Korea, and he didn’t want to ruin it with rambling.

“I don’t think you’ve ever been quiet for this long,” Mark’s deep voice teased, eyes giving away the hidden worry behind his words. 

Ethan smiled, “Just thinking about what to talk about, really,” he brushed his hand against Mark and his smile grew when the other took the hint and intertwined their fingers, “This walk feels special or something, probably cause it’s one of our last days.” Voicing his thoughts was probably a good place to start.

“Yeah...but, and this might be a little weird to say, I’m kind of excited to bring you home, show you my house and see you meet Chica.” His eyes crinkled at the thought of going home, the younger man’s heart fluttering at the thought of going home with Mark.

“I know you said I could stay with you, but you know it’s really okay if you just drop me off at a hotel or something...Mika would probably let me stay at her place she does have a lot of roommates though.. not that I’m trying to make you feel bad and let me stay with you! It’s just—” He was cut off by a reassuring squeeze of his hand. 

Mark chuckled and shook his head, “I don’t know how many times you want me to say this, Eth. It’s really no problem,” Ethan felt his cheeks heat up, he was probably annoying Mark with his constant need for reassurance that he wasn’t intruding, but he couldn’t help it, the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of the older man’s kindness, “Besides...I might secretly _want_ you to stay at my place.”

His train of thought was immediately derailed, a laugh bubbling it’s way out of his chest, “Aw, really?” He used his baby voice, knowing Mark wouldn’t find it annoying.

Just like he thought, the taller man laughed and shoved him playfully, “Nevermind, God. I’ll just leave you at the airport how about that?”

Ethan giggled, letting the aura of content settle over them, “Where are we going?” The trees extended in front of them seemingly forever, the trail slightly overgrown.

Mark sped up and tugged the brunette’s hand lightly, “Hurry up and we’ll find out, you always distract me.” Ethan knew that that was a good thing, most things Mark said that were directed towards him were. 

They walked for twenty more minutes, the humid air causing sweat to bead along the boy’s hairline, dripping slowly down his face. Then he heard it: a rushing of water, fast and heavy. His heart jumped in excitement, was it a creek? A small pond? Maybe there would be frogs!

As they walked around a small bend in the trail, the secret destination quickly made itself known, “Mark! It’s a waterfall?!” His voice went high with excitement, his eyes darting back and forth as he took in the sight.

Bright blue water cascaded over a small ledge of rock, pouring into a pool in front of them, the water crystal clear and rippling from the steady movement of the waterfall. 

“This was my favorite place to go when I was younger, I loved coming here with friends or even alone sometimes.” Mark’s voice was brimming with happiness and elation, clearly he was just as pleased with the sight as Ethan was. 

“Mark...” he breathed, uncharacteristicly speechless, “This is so beautiful! Can we get in? It’s hot as fuck out here.” He laughed a little at his own words, hoping Mark would agree, the heat was becoming uncomfortable.

“Yeah, why not? I’m sweating bullets right now,” He was right, the older man had a sheen of sweat shining on his forehead, though it somehow didn’t make him any less attractive.

Ethan grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the water, “C’mon! This is so cool! I can’t wait to get in,” his face hurt with how wide his smile was, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

The pair walked around the pool of water, towards the left side and away from the opening of the trail. Ethan immediately began stripping out of his clothes, only noticing Mark’s strange look after he already had his shirt off, “What? we can’t swim in our clothes, they’ll be all wet on the way back.” 

He continued to undress, watching Mark’s eyes trail down his figure, and the younger smirked. Arching his back slightly, Ethan bent lower as he pushed his shorts down his legs, “What’s the hold up, Mark?” His voice was sickeningly innocent, though he knew exactly what he was doing. 

The older man blushed furiously, a darker red than Ethan had ever seen on him crawled up his neck and dusted his cheeks, “I’m going, just give me a second,” he defended, beginning to take his clothes off as well.

Ethan, having started much earlier, was already stripped down to his boxer briefs. He laughed, “See you on the other side!” and jumped in. The water was icy cold, making him jolt as he hit the water. Coming up to the surface, he gasped out a breath, “It fucking _cold_!” His voice wobbly with giggles, he watched as Mark charged towards him, evidently having finished undressed while Ethan was under water.

The brunette let out a yelp, trying to quickly swim away from the larger man’s cannonball, but found himself submerged under a tidal wave anyways. He came up spluttering, eyes glinting mischievously at the man that was now breaching the surface again. He quickly splashed water in the direction of Mark, only really succeeding in getting his attention.

“You better run now, little boy,” Mark was speaking in a horrible high pitched and creepy voice.

“Gross, you sound like some old man behind a movie theater!” Ethan laughed, pushing his arms through the water to move backwards and away from the other man.

Mark frowned in confusion, “That is so weirdly specific that it almost scares me the things that you’ve seen.” He took on a mockingly horrified expression, pretending to back away.

Ethan giggled again, his arms were getting tired, “Is there a shallow part to this or am I just gonna drown?”

The older man grinned, “Follow me!” And promptly began swimming towards the waterfall, soon disappearing behind the curtain of water.

 _What the fuck?_ Ethan began the short swim across the pool, feeling like Mark was just messing with him and was going to jump out and scare him. As soon as he passed under the spray, however, he was rapidly proven wrong. There was a cave-like intention right behind the waterfall, immediately shallower and the small pool he found himself in reached all the way to the back of the cave where a panting Mark sat on the edge of a rock outcropping.

“Dude this is some Mako-Mermaid shit, how did you find this place?” Ethan’s voice was filled with wonder, the reflection of the water onto the damp rocks led to a blue hue filling up the entire room, waves of different blues twisted on the ceiling, moving in time with the water. The boy pushed himself up onto the ledge that Mark was sitting on, catching his breath from the exertion of swimming for so long. 

“I was just wandering around one day, found the waterfall and y’know how teenagers are, they get into shit, so obviously I swam back here and...it’s just been my escape ever since.” He smiled, eyes full of nostalgia as they stared down at the younger man.

Mark’s skin looked ethereal in the blue light, the dark teals and navy blues bouncing off the walls brought out all the fine details of his face. Ethan was suddenly struck once again by Mark’s beauty. Only this time he could voice his thoughts, “You really are pretty, Mark.” He watched the older man roll his eyes, “No, really! I know we both feel the connection on a...deeper level I guess, but I also think you’re really fuckin’ hot, dude.”

Mark groaned, “Why did you have to do your weird frat boy accent?”

Ethan snorted out a laugh, “Accent? Yeah ‘cause frat boy is a language, and I just so happen to be fluent in it.”

The dark haired man shook his head and turned his smile towards his own lap, “You’re too perfect, you’ve gotta be a serial killer or something, there’s no way you’re actually this cute.” 

The brunette blushed, “Ugh you’re beating me in my own flirting game, let’s go back to swimming.” He punctuated his sentence by pushing off of the ledge and hopping back into the water. He made sure to splash plenty of the cool liquid onto Mark.

“Hey! That’s cold!”

“It’s hot out anyways! Enjoy the water, Mark, this is one of our last days here!” His voice, pitched playfully high, echoed in the cavern. He sunk down so only his eyes stayed above the water and moved slowly towards Mark, who still sat perched on the rocky edge. Ethan slowly rose up and reached for the older man’s toes, “The Gongoozler will getcha! Watch yer toes Mark!” With that he lunged forward and tugged the man’s feet, pulling him into the water below.

He came back up laughing, “What the _fuck_ is the _Gongoozler_?” His face was wide with laughter.

The pair began to swim back to the bank on the other side of the waterfall, where their clothes sat haphazardly thrown into piles. Mark layed down on the fine dirt on the edge of the pool of water, letting his lower legs hang over the edge. Ethan followed suit, eyes flitting over the blue sky.

This felt like paradise, like a secret hidden world for just him and Mark. He let himself smile and sigh contently, turning his face towards Mark he found the other enraptured with the fluffy clouds above them. Right now, when it seemed like there was no one else in the world, Ethan felt right. Like he was a lost puzzle piece that had finally been dragged out from under the couch and placed in its rightful spot. Mark was the pieces surrounding him, the ones that made him feel like he belongs. The ones that give him a place to fit. Maybe he was just being sickeningly sappy, but even if he was, he wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world. 

They relax all day like that, occasionally jumping back in the water or playing games. In their own perfect world, everything is right. And when they eventually head back to the inn, Ethan knows he will leave a part of himself with this hidden pond. 

Mark’s smile danced in his mind, a constant image that Ethan would never get tired of, he hopes the rest of his life is like today, just spending time with Mark and feeling at peace, feeling loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow yeah i needed to write something happy because the channel ending ruined me. anyways, i need to go and grind on precalc bc i wasn’t able to do anything yesterday since i was grieving unus annus :,) 
> 
> anyway! hope you liked this, i’m excited for the end! it’s coming!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh i’ve been trying to update this but i’m applying to colleges and shit so that’s taking a lot of my time lol anyways!! hope you enjoy this chapter!

The day had finally arrived. After spending some more quality time with Mark’s family and enjoying the nice weather, their final day in Korea had crept up behind them, only making itself known by the loud alarm Ethan had set to wake up early in the morning to give them time to say their goodbyes. 

A deep groan sounded from beside him, he giggled as he turned to see Mark grumbling as he sat up and yawned widely. Ethan smiled softly, waking up next to Mark would never get old. 

“Hey sleepyhead, ready to go say bye to your family?” Ethan wasn’t normally a morning person, but the adrenaline from the anticipation that had built over this past few weeks kept him alert and excited.

The sudden change wasn’t lost to Mark either, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you awake before me, let alone ready to go.” His voice was deep and gravely from sleep, something that would always make a slight flush spread across the younger man’s face.

“Yeah, well, as fun as this has been, I’m ready to go back home.” Mark hummed in agreement, and Ethan watched as he stood from the bed and started changing. 

“When’s the flight again?” Ethan wasn’t always good with remembering times and appointments, luckily Mark had it memorized down to the letter. 

“Our flight starts boarding at two, and it takes about and hour and a half to get to the airport, so we should leave here around ten just to make sure we have time to go through baggage check and if anything goes wrong. Oh, and it gives us time to find where we board.” He stops his mini speech, noticing Ethan’s amused expression, “What?”

Ethan giggled, “Nothing, you just really planned this out is all. Is this how traveling with you always is?”

Mark huffed, “You say that like it’s a bad thing, I’m just prepared.” He made an overly offended face and continued getting dressed into a simple t-shirt and jeans.

Ethan smiled a little bigger and began following the other man’s actions, “Are you gonna miss your mom?” He had worried that his presence had interrupted Mark’s personal time with his mom, but the older man seemed to know exactly what was on his mind.

“Of course I’ll miss her, I always do, but you don’t have to worry about you getting in the way of my visiting, you were the perfect addition.” He smiled walking over to Ethan simply just because he wanted to be closer to the other man. Sometimes just being near Ethan was enough to make him smile and want to jump over the moon.

“How do you always know what I’m thinking? Am I that predictable?” Ethan grinned, tilting his head and staring into Mark’s shining brown eyes.

Mark snorted out a laugh, “Not predictable, just easy to read,” he paused, eyes meeting their blue counterparts, “You’re like an open book in the best ways, you always worry about little things, it’s cute.” He steps slightly closer, eyes falling to the smaller’s lips.

“Yeah?” Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper, “Do you know what I’m thinking now?”

The taller man brought his eyes back up to Ethan’s, “What? I couldn’t possibly guess...”

Ethan pulled back abruptly, walking over to his bag and picking out a black shirt with colorful lettering, “I’m thinking that we should probably get to your mom’s soon if we’re gonna make it to the flight.” His voice was significantly louder than before, shifting the energy of the room completely.

He was smiling, knowing exactly what he had done and looked at Mark expectantly. The dark haired man blinked a couple of times, head reeling from the sudden mood shift, “Uh- yeah, let’s head out.” He was blushing, something that Ethan loved to see, and loved more that he had been the one to cause that reaction. 

“You’re such a tease, you know that right? One day it’s gonna come back and bite you in the ass,” Mark grumbled, clearly embarrassed.

Ethan just laughed and packed the rest of his things into his suitcase. They would be leaving straight from Mark’s mom’s house to the airport so they wouldn’t have to walk back to the inn to get their things.

After double checking the room to make sure they didn’t leave anything behind, the pair made the now familiar path down to the common area of the small inn.

As their feet touched down on the hardwood of the first floor, they were greeted by the sweet old owner just like every other day. He looked at them with genuine care and appreciation, maybe even a little pride, and bade them farewell for one last time. Mark handed him the room key and received a firm pay on the shoulder, the old man giving off a happy dad sort of vibe and it made the dark haired man smile.

The old man turned to Ethan, looking deep into his eyes, and pulled him abruptly forward into a tight hug. While they didn’t understand each other, everything was conveyed by that hug. They understood each other in a way that most people would never experience in depth. You feel it sometimes when you meet strangers at the store and understand each other despite not speaking, but Ethan got to feel that every day with every interaction with the owner and now he felt more connected than ever. He was grateful for the old man’s kindness, tears prickling at his eyes as he squeezed the other in his arms. They pulled away at the same time, giving each other one last smile before he turned and followed Mark out of the small building.

“I’m gonna miss him, Mark. He was so nice and understanding...” Ethan’s voice was watery, the emotions filling him up and spilling out where they could, through his voice and his eyes. He wiped at his wet cheeks and looked with a small smile at the taller man.

“Yeah, I never had to stay there in the past, but I’m glad I did, otherwise I would’ve never met you.” Mark fell into step next to Ethan, gently lacing their fingers together, allowing Ethan to pull their hands the rest of the way into a warm cradle.

“That’s so crazy to think about...if your mom had had enough room in her house we would have never met...I probably would still be with Matthew, playing along with his sick game.” Ethan couldn’t even comprehend the thought anymore. He had stayed unwaveringly next to Matt for a little more than six months, never questioning his behavior or how he treated the brunette. If Mark hadn’t offered his help...Ethan didn’t know where he’d be, physically or emotionally. 

“I’m glad I got you out of that situation, Eth. But I don’t want you thinking you owe me for that. Don’t humor my feelings just because I-” Ethan cut him off with a glare and a small tug of his hand.

“Don’t even act like you didn’t woo me with your natural charisma and sexy hair.” Ethan teased, “But actually, I like you, Mark, a lot. It has nothing to do with you helping me, even though I’m eternally grateful for that...I just want to be with you Mark, in whatever way I can.” His voice goes soft at the end, his eyes glancing shyly up at the older man.

Mark looked away quickly, eyes suddenly very interested in the dirt path, “Right back at you or whatever.” He mumbled, clearly flustered.

Ethan giggled and rolled his eyes, “Wow, real sappy, Mark.” His heart fluttered nonetheless, he understood exactly what the other meant, exactly how far his feelings reached.

The brunette heard the older man grumble something about hurrying up and felt their pace pick up speed accordingly. The weather was beautiful as always, it hadn’t been anything but sunny the whole time Ethan had been here. Korea was definitely a place he would want to return to, maybe even go to bigger cities rather than sticking to visiting Mark’s mother as sweet as she was. 

Their feet made gentle crunching noises, disrupting the small pebbles that littered the packed dirt road. Ethan felt at peace, hand in Mark’s and shoulders brushing every so often. 

Of course, he had to break the silence, never lasting long in a quiet atmosphere, “Do you think we could come back here one day? Like the two of us, maybe go to Seoul or something.” 

Mark hummed, “That would be great, Eth. I’d love to travel the world with you,” He paused, “I actually have a question for you, if you don’t mind.” He smiled and turned his head to the younger man, who was kicking an empty snail shell as he walked.

The smaller man hummed, signalling that he was listening, “Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Ethan looked at him questioningly, opening his mouth probably to point out the obvious, but Mark stopped him, “I know that we already admitted our, y’know, _feelings_... but I wanted to clear up what that meant for...us I guess. Like how official we are? It’s ok if you don’t want that I just—”

The younger man snorted, “Of course I’ll be your boyfriend, Mark. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Mark shot him a mock-annoyed look, “Always have to one up me, huh?”

Ethan made an affirmative noise and went back to kicking the snail shell, the small object making a scratchy noise as it met the pavement that signaled the beginning of Mark’s mom’s neighborhood. He glanced up, realizing they were already there. He looked at Mark, “You ready?”

The taller man nodded and led them up the small path to his mother’s house and inside, not bothering to knock as his family was already expecting them. They left their suitcases at the door, ready to be grabbed on the way out, and padded to the back door. The house smelled like wood and some sort of herb, something that now made Ethan immediately at ease.

Mark dropped his hold on Ethan’s hand to slide open the glass door, the group outside all turning to see who arrived. They were greeted loudly, though the brunette noticed there were only about six people left, the others having left on their way home already. 

Ethan watched and listened as Mark went around and said his goodbyes, hugging everyone and sharing small conversations. He didn’t feel out of place though, he knew Mark’s family had accepted him the moment Mark had brought him home. The thought made his chest warm with happiness.

Sunok turned to Ethan, “I will miss you, Ethan,” She stood and walked over to him, “You are good for Mark, I hope you two know what you have.” She smiled, reaching out and pulling him into a hug.

Ethan felt tears prick at his eyes, “Thank you, Sunok. I’ll miss you, I really liked meeting you and the family, you made me feel welcome when I really needed it.”

He felt her tighten their embrace, making sure to do the same, “Of course we would welcome you! We love you, Ethan. I hope to see you again in the future.” She pulled back as she said the last part, making sure he knew she meant it.

He smiled, tears making his vision blurry, the older woman reached up and brushed them away, patting his cheek lovingly. 

They lounged around a bit, talking and saying their goodbyes, until it was time to go. At around 11:30 Mark checked his watch and stood, clearly anxious about making it to their flight. Ethan followed his movements, walking over from where he was seated to stand by the dark haired man. 

Mark put his arm around the smaller man’s waist, pulling his flush against his side and making him blush, “It was really nice seeing all of you, I can’t wait for next year, we should go to Seoul and show Eth around.” Ethan’s face turned a darker shade at the implication that Mark wholeheartedly intended for Ethan to still be there the next year. He listened as the older man said his goodbyes, or what Ethan assumed to be goodbyes as he had switched back to Korean.

The group of six waved them goodbye and Sunok stood to walk them to the door, “Bye bye, boys. Have a safe flight.”

“Thank you, Sunok, I can’t wait to see you again.” Ethan couldn’t help but feel certain he would still be with Mark next year. And the year after. And the years after that. Something about Mark felt permanent in the best way.

Mark hugged his mom goodbye one last time as the taxi honked his horn outside, “Looks like that’s our queue to leave, bye mom.”

The pair walked down the pavement towards the road, Ethan hopping into the backseat as Mark insisted he load the baggage into the back. The older man slid in next to him and the small orange car rumbled away from the neighborhood, tires crunching on the dirt road. Ethan watched as they made their way up the hill, passing the small inn one last time. 

As the town shrank into the distance, Ethan sighed and sat back in his seat, eyes moving from their place on the window to Mark’s slumped figure next to him. The taller man was resting his chin on his hand which was propped on the door, his eyes flickering over the horizon.

Ethan squirmed in his seat, he always hated car rides where he wasn’t driving, the thought of not being in control of where he was going always made him twitch. He was a bit of a control freak in that sense. Not to mention the fact that if the driver wanted to, he could swerve off the road and kill all of them in seconds. He slid his feet out of his shoes and brought them up so he could wrap his arms around his legs. 

Mark seemed to notice the younger becoming more uncomfortable and reached over to pat his knee, “You want to scoot over? There’s plenty of room over here.”

Ethan smiled and unbuckled quickly, earning a glare from the driver, he waved apologetically to him and moved swiftly over to Mark, buckling the middle seatbelt over his chest. 

“Smooth, Eth.” Mark teased, wrapping his arm around the brunette’s shoulder and pulling him closer. Ethan sighed and shifted so he was impossibly closer to the older man, bringing his feet up to tuck under himself, feeling better in that position. He rested his head on Mark’s shoulder, the angle turned out to be uncomfortable, so he unfolded his legs and layed them over Mark’s. He was practically in the other man’s lap, making him giggle.

“Comfortable yet, you monkey?” Mark brought his arm up and tugged Ethan down so he was comfortable, his head resting on Mark’s shoulder once again.

Ethan snorted, “We’re probably nauseating, you know that right? We’re the couple that is grossly PDA-ish.” It was the first time he had referred to them as a couple and it made the brunette blush. Mark just chuckled and returned to staring out the window.

If Ethan had tried this with Matt, the blonde probably would’ve thrown him out of the car. He never let the young boy show any affection outside of the house, claiming that he was weird for wanting to throw their relationship in other people’s faces. It was probably some sort of internalized homophobia, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Instead, he let the dull vibrations of the car pull him into sleep, Mark’s breathing and heartbeat his lullaby.

¥•¥  
  


He was jolted awake by the car coming to an abrupt halt, the whole vehicle rocking forward as the driver slammed on the breaks. He muttered something and reached out his hand for payment.

Mark handing over some cash and thanked him, nudging Ethan, who finally got the hint and climbed out of the car. They walked around to the trunk and he jumped when it suddenly popped open, “Easy there, tiger. You get a nice nap in? Cause we got a sixteen hour flight that you have to sit through now.” Mark grinned, knowing the younger wouldn’t be tired enough to sleep on the airplane.

“You’re sadistic, Mark. I’m gonna annoy you the whole time now, so you can thank yourself for that.” He stuck his nose in the air and Mark giggled, handing him his suitcase. 

“Sure you will. Now let’s find our gate and then we can get something to eat once we know where it is.” He popped the handle of his suitcase up, starting with a brisk pace into the airport. Ethan glanced up at the building in front of him, it wasn’t the biggest airport he’d ever seen, but it certainly wasn’t the smallest. The surrounding city was a larger one, which is why they had to drive so far to get to Mark’s hometown.

With a small call from Mark, he remembered their schedule, and hurried to catch up to the older man. They passed through the doors and were instantly met with a bustling crowd. Hundreds of people hurriedly walking to make it to their flight, some sitting around and waiting for their layover to end. He had always loved big crowded places, the constant murmur of voices and other noises made him feel like he was part of something. 

They walked through the airport, going through baggage check and doing all the necessary things they needed to get to their gate. As Ethan quickly tried to grab his belt and shoes off the conveyor belt at the metal detector, he heard Mark snickering at his struggles. 

“How dare you, Mark Fischbach, I’ll have you know that I have connections.” He finally slipped his left shoe on and they continued towards their gate, Mark giggling the whole way. Ethan smiled fondly at him, only looking away when the man pointed at something in front of them. 

“There it is. We can get something to eat that’s nearby if you want.” Ethan tilted his head, thinking. He saw a mini gas station-like store on the way over.

“There was a little gas station thingie, we can go there and get a few snacks.” Ethan suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

Mark agreed and they began the short walk to the store. When they entered, Ethan immediately went over to the snack section, ignoring the wall of magazines and trinkets.

“What should we get?” The food they had was much fancier than any common drug store in the U.S. which normally only had chips and a few beers. Here they had chips but also a hot bar, bento boxes, and an assortment of other foods that made Ethan’s mouth water.

“Holy shit, this place is so cool!” Ethan’s eyes lit up with child like excitement, his hand coming up to grip Mark’s shoulder. 

The older man chuckled, “Yeah the first time I saw one of these drug store things I almost shit myself. They’re so much fancier than the ones in the states.” 

They picked out what they wanted, Ethan grabbing probably more that he should have, but hey, he needed food for the plane ride too.

After that they walked back to the gate, sitting down with their little feast and waited for the flight to board. An hour later and lots of snacks in, a friendly woman’s voice announced that their flight was boarding in an assortment of languages.

Sighing a little, Mark hoisted himself up with a grunt, his bones cracking from the long time spent sitting down. Ethan giggled at this, “You ok there, old man?”

“Shut up, I’m not even that much older than you,” He grinned and grabbed their shared carryon bag and lead the way onto the plane. 

The small tunnel grew smaller as they approached the plane door, slowly funneling the crowd of people into the tiny opening. Planes had always scared Ethan, his first time riding one had been when he’d moved out to LA and he’d seldom flew any time after that. His hands shook slightly as he stepped over the small gap in the floor, a sliver of the concrete below making itself known. He took a deep breath and sped up, nearly knocking Mark over in his hurry.

The older man turned from where he was placing the carryon bag, “You ok, Eth?”

The brunette nodded, “Yeah, just a little nervous, can I have the isle seat?” The window just reminded him he was thousands of feet in the air, which didn’t help with his queesiness. 

Mark’s eyes looked like he was seeing a hurt puppy, “Of course you can, here, let’s sit.” He settled into his chair, the lack of leg room was to be expected, and Ethan appreciated it. It made him feel secure. Though he didn’t care for Mark’s pitying stare.

“I’m not a baby, Mark. Planes just freak me out a little, I’ll be fine once we get in the air.” He shifted to get comfortable and placed his hand on Mark’s larger one. He didn’t want the older man to worry about him the whole ride, he was an adult, he could care for himself.

Mark nodded, “I know, I just hate seeing you scared. It reminds me of when I left you in the room that one time and you freaked out,” he paused, running his fingers over Ethan’s knuckles, “You looked so scared when you came downstairs, I felt terrible.”

Ethan’s heart twinged, he hardly remembered that morning and Mark had been beating himself up about it ever since, “Hey, look at me,” he tilted Mark’s chin up so he could look into his dark eyes, “I’m not scared anymore. And that’s all thanks to you. I never feel unsafe around you.”

The dark haired man smiled, sitting back and interlacing their fingers where their hands rested on the shared arm of the seat. The pair watched as the flight attendant went through the demonstrations of what to do in emergency situations, and then they waited as everyone got settled into their seats. 

Ethan was just getting comfortable when a young woman came up to him, she was in a uniform so he assumed she was a flight attendant. She said something in Korean, and Ethan looked at Mark questioningly. She seemed to understand the situation and shifted her attention to the older man. He nodded as she spoke, then looked surprised. 

She ended the conversation with a smile, clearly happy with the outcome and waved for them to follow her. Ethan turned to Mark, “What’s happening?”

“She said this man insisted to go on this flight but didn’t want to pay, so they’re giving him out seats and moving us to first class.” He was smiling, standing and urging Ethan to do the same.

The brunette’s face was the picture of surprise, “Wait really?? Wow, um, okay let’s go!” The taller man grabbed their bag on the way as they followed the flight attendant towards the front of the plane.

They passed through a curtain and were met with a much nicer area. The young woman lead the pair to a small sitting area with a table between two large booths and a large window. She asked Mark something and he nodded, sitting down.

Ethan say right next to him, not wanting to sit across the table, as weird as that may have looked to others, “This is crazy, what did she say before she left?”

Mark laughed, “She asked if we wanted complimentary champagne for the inconvenience. Like this isn’t an upgrade.” He scoffed in disbelief, his soft brown eyes taking in the white leather seats and soft beige color of the walls. The young woman returned with a bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne and then left without a word.

Ethan watched as Mark took the two glasses provided and filled them with the amber liquid, passing one to Ethan, “Cheers, love.”

The brunette laughed and clinked their glasses together, maybe planes weren’t so scary after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay!! i finally updated! there will probably be only a few more chapters after this one but the boys are finally on their way home! this chapter felt long asf to write but it’s probably because i’m supposed to be writing an essay rn lol anyways!! hope you enjoyed this! stay safe <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHIT ITS THE LAST CHAPTER
> 
> sorry for the long break!! i had most of this done then my wifi went out and i lost it all lol. but regardless, this fic has been insane, the amount of hits it’s gotten seems unreal to me :,) thank you so much for reading i hope i did the end justice!

A few hours into the plane ride and him and Mark had sipped on the champagne until there was only a few drops left. To be fair, the alcohol percentage had been very low, Ethan had checked, worried for Mark’s health. So, they were a little buzzed, but they were also in public so it would be rude and awkward to get shitfaced, especially in the first class section of an airplane. 

“This is so nice, I can’t believe they just moved us up here!” Ethan giggled, leaning to look out the window, no longer worried about the height with the excitement of the moment coursing through his veins.

Mark hummed, drinking the last of his champagne and sitting forward, watching Ethan as he leaned forward to look out the window, still right next to him even with the empty booth across from them. It was endearing to see the boy so excited, much better than when he was shaking with nerves.

Ethan sat back down and noticed the older man’s eyes on him, “What?” He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion, “Were you looking at my ass?”

That got him, Mark doubled over, laughing loudly, too loud for the plane, but he didn’t care— neither of them did. They were too high on endorphins a to care about snooty rich people judging them for enjoying themselves. 

“As a matter of fact, I was just thinking about how glad I am to see you excited,” he stated primly, smirking at Ethan’s puppy eyes.

The younger stuck out his bottom lip jokingly, “Awe, Mark, what a cute excuse for staring at my butt.”

The older man scoffed and pushed him away slightly, “You wish,” he glanced at their carry on bag, now residing in the empty booth across the table and thought of the deck of cards he had packed, “Wanna play go-fish?”

Ethan giggled and nodded excitedly, “Absolutely, but first I have to piss, that champagne went right through me.” Mark laughed and said something about being indecent in front of the “fancy people” but Ethan just smiled and slid out of the booth, practically climbing across Mark to do so. 

He made his way towards the middle of the plane where he knew the bathrooms would be, but was stopped by a young flight attendant, “Sir, the first class bathrooms are towards the front of the plane.” He smiled pointing the brunette in the right direction. Although he was initially surprised that the first class had their own bathroom, it did make sense. Turning around, he walked back passed Mark, who looked at him questioningly, and made his way to the front of the plane. Sure enough, there was a small sign next to a door with half and half woman and man figure with Korean writing under them. Figuring that this had to be the bathroom, Ethan slid the door open and stepped onto the small platform, locking the door behind him. 

He surveyed the room, it was nice, a pristine white with cream accents and bright fluorescent lights illuminating the small space. The brunette had never used the bathroom on a plane, the flights he had been on before weren’t really long enough for him to have to. He peered into the plastic bowl, there was a bit of water and in it was what looked like a plastic bag. This bathroom was probably way nicer than the normal ones, so he felt a little bad, but decided to stop thinking and just pee.

After he was done, he searched the area around the toilet for a button or lever of some sort to flush it, but apparently it was motion sensor, and a loud noise ripped through the small room without warning, “Fuck!” Ethan yelped, jumping away from the evil machine. _Why the fuck was it so loud?_ He shook out his arms and turned around to wash his hands, already planning out his dramatic retelling of the event to Mark.

As he approached the table, he saw Mark shuffling the deck of cards he had brought. He smiled fondly, his mind happily supplying the fact that Mark was his boyfriend now. The thought made him blush, the way that they had moved so quickly almost scared him, but he knew he had made the right decision. The older man was kinder than any person he had ever met and the connection they had was undeniable. Mark glanced up as he arrived at the table, getting up so Ethan could scoot back into his window seat, sitting back down once the other was settled. 

“Ready for me to kick your ass at go-fish?” He teased, already dealing the cards. Ethan giggled, turning so the other couldn’t possibly see he hand, before lifting it to his nose. Mark scoffed at his actions and looked at his own hand.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, “Got a six?” Mark laughed and pointed dramatically to the stack of cards between them.

“Go fish.”

¥•¥

  
As he watched the sky change colors and fade to a luminous golden peach it dawned on Ethan that they would arrive in Los Angeles at the same time that they left Korea. Making sure he was doing his math right, he turned to Mark, “Hey, are we getting to LA the same time we left Korea?” The smaller man looked completely at loss, not believing that that was even possible.

Mark tilted his head for a moment, seemingly doing the math, and nodded, “Yeah, actually. That’s really cool...” He seemed lost in thought, his mind trying to grasp concept.

Ethan turned his head to look out into the cloud filled sky, the sun lighting up the puffy figures with golden light, “This is so pretty, you should come see it.” He breathed, pulling gently on Mark’s sleeve to get him to slide over and look out the window. 

Mark did as the younger requested and leaned over, his chin resting on the brunette’s shoulder. They watched until the sky dimmed, the moon waking up and submerging them in her somber atmosphere. Ethan loved the moon, probably more than he loved the Sun, because it was often glazed over, both in importance and beauty. Sure, all living things needed sunlight in some way, but the moon was a luxury of its own. It pulled the tides and illuminated the night as best as it could, and the young man admired it for that. While it didn’t have as many bright and eye-catching appeals, it was beautiful and important in its own way. 

Mark nudged him to get his attention, and once he had it he yawned, “I didn’t take an hour long nap on the way here, and I’m pretty tired, so I’m gonna sleep a little.”

Ethan nodded and watched at Mark layed down on the comfortable booth, that was more like a couch in all honesty, and rested his head on the younger boy’s lap. He blushed, he didn’t know Mark was going to do _that_. The action was so simple yet so intimate and loving, God he loved him. _Wait love?_ Did Ethan love Mark? Wasn’t it too soon? He glanced down at the sleeping man under him and sighed contentedly, it didn’t really matter did it? He knew without a doubt Mark felt the same, it was just a matter of putting it into words. 

Not soon after his little internal monologue, the smaller man felt his head begin to nod, his eyes becoming increasingly heavier, and he eventually succumbed to the sleepiness that tugged at him incessantly.

¥•¥  
  


When Ethan woke, the plane was dark save for the small book lights above their heads providing a small glow in the cabin. He reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes and then registered the weight in his lap. Glancing down, he saw that Mark’s head was in his lap, the older man still slumbering away peacefully. He had probably been more tired than he let on, a morning full of the stress of getting to the airport on time getting to him. Ethan understood, but he was so caught up in the visuals and sounds that he hadn’t even thought about making to the gate on time, though he had listened to Mark’s gentle urging to hurry. 

Mark had really been his rock in this entire endeavor. He had been strong when Ethan needed it, and gentle and kind when the situation called for it. To think they only met a few weeks ago...the thought always made the younger man’s head reel. The other man was a blessing he wasn’t even sure he deserved, what did he do to grant himself a true guardian angel? He had been dumb enough to trust Matt, though he loved him at the time, and ended up on his own in an entirely different country. Any sensible person would’ve seen the signs, but he had remained oblivious until the very end. He glanced down at Mark’s still figure, his arm wrapped around his own stomach, his other hand resting near his face. In his sleep he looked peaceful, not that he wasn’t when he was awake, he just looked...broody. In a ~~hot way~~ good way. Always thinking deeply, honestly it was one of the reasons Ethan was attracted to him. He was so observant, it made the boy blush at times. To catch him staring as the younger man dressed, watching his fingers as he tied his shoes and fiddled with his hair. The idea that someone was so infatuated with him seemed far fetched, but here Mark was, defying every expectation Ethan had for any person on this earth.

He stirred from his thoughts, looking up to the young flight attendant that had placed her hand on his shoulder. She smiled, glancing at Mark fondly. She offered him a plastic cup, then gestured at the assortment of drinks she had once he accepted it. 

“Oh, I’ll just have water, please,” he said pointing at a rather fancy looking bottle. She nodded and handed it to him, “Thank you.” She only smiled and walked away, quietly looking for other passengers that were awake.

Ethan sipped on the water, not bothering with the cup seeing as any turbulence was likely to knock it over, and he was sure a certain someone wouldn’t appreciate water being spilled on his head in his sleep. 

He watched Mark for a while more before leaning back and drifting off into his own dreamland, where he met a kind old witch who turned into Mark when he swept her house. The corner of his mouth twitched up in his sleep.

¥•¥  
  


“Eth, wake up, we’re here.” Mark’s low voice vibrated his whole head. The boy sat up, his dazed mind trying to process that he was curled against his partner, head resting on the larger man’s chest. 

“Mmph?” 

He heard Mark chuckle and he quickly reached to rub his eyes to clear them, the lights of the cabin burning slightly. As he began to process reality again, he saw that everyone on the plane was standing— and that his ears were uncomfortably muffled and stiff-feeling. He yawned to pop them and sighed in relief when the pressure released. 

The first class passengers were let off first, the fancy businessmen and women shuffling off to their destinations, “We’re here?” Ethan’s drowsy brain was still trying to catch up, his limbs felt like lead and a headache was beginning to creep up on him.

Mark laughed quietly, the atmosphere in the plane was still and only broken by quiet murmurs, “Yes sleepyhead, get up or we’re gonna be trampled.”

Ethan stood and stretched, his back popping, “That went by faster than I thought,” he said, following Mark up the aisle and out of the small door, waving to the flight attendants on his way out. Bright light assaulted his eyes, the bustling noise of the crowded LA airport making itself known, “ _Wow_ , I thought I’d never see this place again,” he breathed, turning to Mark to shoot him an excited smile.

Mark looked back, also smiling, but looking a little sad as if remembering why they had met in the first place, “I’m so glad we got you home, Eth.”

The younger man grinned wider and interlocked their fingers, “Me too, now let’s go get Spencer, I’m gonna die if I don’t see his furry little face!”

They rushed off to baggage pickup, Mark not wanting to keep his boyfriend from seeing his precious puppy.

While his eyes searched for his signature bright orange bag, Ethan’s mind was running a mile a minute, thinking of seeing Spencer, seeing Mika again, seeing Mark’s house, picking up his things from Matthew’s— God _Matthew_ , he’d have to actually deal with his demons now that there wasn’t an ocean separating them.

Seeming to sense his increasing stress, Mark squeezed the younger’s hand, drawing those hazel green eyes to his own, “It’s gonna be fine, we’ll figure everything out, let’s just get Spencer and go home for now.”

Ethan hummed, eyes watering a little, he was _home_. He was back in LA and he had Mark, he was going to see Spencer and Mika— “Thank you Mark.”

Finally, their bags rolled around the conveyor belt, the pair each grabbing their own suitcase and beginning the short walk to the entrance of the airport. Luckily, their gate had been the closest one to the exit. Mark called an Uber and Ethan gave Mika’s address to the driver, she lived closer to the airport than both Mark and Ethan, and the younger of the two understandably didn’t want to wait any longer to see his best friend and his dog.

Around twenty minutes later they arrived at Mika’s house. Ethan quickly thanked the driver and pulled his and Mark’s luggage out of the trunk, he wasn’t going to waste another second. As he sped up to the door, Mark trailing close behind, he realized he hadn’t even texted Mika that they had landed. Obviously, he had let her know he was leaving Korea and coming by her place after he landed, but other than that he hadn’t updated her at all. A wave of anxiety and guilt flooded his chest, why was he so selfish? He only ever thought of what he wanted, he hadn’t even considered— Mark put a strong hand on his shoulder.

“I can see the gears in your head turning, she’ll be happy to see you, Eth. I can knock for you if you want.” Ethan smiled, the older man always knew what was wrong. 

He nodded and watched as his boyfriend _god that was still so weird to even think_ reached out and rapped his knuckles on the dark wooden door of Mika’s house. Dog barks sounded out and tiny nails scratched noisily at the door, alerting everyone that there was in fact a stranger on the porch.

Ethan heard quick thumping of footsteps and the door was wrenched open, Mika’s short green hair styled half up half down and she wore a soft sweater with leggings. The familiar sight almost made Ethan sob with joy, and before he could react, he was hit by a solid wall of what could only be described as pure love. 

“Ethan!” She pulled away and took his head in her hands, “Fuck, I missed you, where have you been? You were with Matt in Korea and then you didn’t text me until _yesterday_ — _fuck,_ Ethan what happened?” Her words were jumbled and worried, her big eyes glossy with un-shed tears.

Ethan just let out a small sob-laugh and pulled her back into a hug, the familiarity of Mika pulling him in and filling the hole in his chest, _God_ he’d missed her, “There’s so much to tell you, Meeks. Can we sit down?”

“Of course—” Mika pulled away quickly and her gaze snapped to Mark as if seeing him for the first time, “Actually yeah, you have a lot to catch me up on.”

The green haired woman stepped back and opened the door fully, unintentionally releasing the excited ball of energy that was Spencer. While the young dog was usually reserved around new people, he seemed to be so happy to see his owner that he barely even acknowledged Mark, simply jumping into Ethan’s arms and whining happily.  
  


“Oh, I know bubbas, I know, I missed you too,” he buried his face in Spencer’s warm fur, “I really missed you, bunko funk.” The dog barked and ran in a circle around the brunette where he was crouched on the ground.

Mika giggled and waved her hand, “C’mon, let’s go inside and you can explain why you were gone for weeks without saying anything and _then_ tell me why there’s a strange man bringing you home.” She pulled Ethan’s suitcase into the foyer and walked to the living room, allowing Mark and her best friend to follow. 

The trio took their places on the worn couch in the living room, the plush pillows and warm smell of cinnamon and pine comforting Ethan more than he’d ever admit out loud. Mika sat next to him clasping his hands in her own, “What happened, Ethan?”

Tears welled up in the brunette’s eyes, having to actually explain what happened to someone who had been next to him for the whole relationship was going to be harder than he thought. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath and told his friend everything. How Matt had left, how he and Mark met, and then he even admitted that the relationship had been toxic the entire time, told her how stupid he felt for not seeing it sooner.

Mika’s face was scrunched up in worry and frustration as she pulled him into a fierce hug, “ _Fuck_ that guy. He doesn’t know how good he had it, I _promise_ you’re so much more than what he says you are.” Ethan hiccuped out a cry, eyes finally spilling their grief over onto his cheeks. While Mark had comforted him immensely while they were in Korea, there was something different about telling Mika. It almost felt like a much needed confession.

He felt Mark’s warm hand running along his back reassuringly and smiled, he was so grateful he had people in his life like this, “Thank you, Meeks. Oh, and I’m gonna stay with Mark for a while, since I doubt Matt is going to help me with my rent.” He chuckled a bit at the last part but quickly sobered when Mika didn’t share the sentiment, sending him a sad look. 

“You could always stay with me,” she glanced at the man behind him, “No offense, just giving him options.” She smiled awkwardly and turned back to Ethan, clearly expecting a decision.

Ethan shifted and glanced back at his boyfriend, “I think I want to stay with Mark,” he faced his friend and saw her smirking knowingly, “It’s not like _that_ Mika! Oh my God I cant take you anywhere.” He sighed exasperatedly, face flushing a bright red.

Mark chuckled and piped up, “We talked about it, and we think it’d be best for him to stay with me until he can get back on his feet, since you already have roommates.”

Mika nodded her head and sighed, “Yeah, you’re right, I don’t know how everyone else would handle having another person in the house, plus you can’t help pay rent...I guess it is better for you to go with Mark.”

She turned to the taller man, “But if you try anything, I will personally make sure you regret it.” She smiled after, though it seemed only to get her point across.

Ethan watched Mark shift uncomfortably and giggled, “Jeez, Mika, you’d think you’re my mom or something.” He glanced at Spencer, who was layed out by his owner’s feet, not wanting to separate for even a second, “We should probably head out soon though, want to get back and unpack before dark and all that.” 

Mika nodded, but despite that they couldn’t help but stay a while longer, catching up and just hanging out really, they had both missed each other and it turned out Mark fit right in with their dynamic and Ethan could tell the two would become friends without a problem.

Soon, it was time to leave and Mika stood to walk them to the door. They had called another Uber and hopped in, watching Mika’s figure shrink into the distance as they exited the neighborhood.

¥•¥  
  


Mark’s house was huge. Like, classic Los Angeles movie star huge. Ethan turned with a bewildered look on his face and realized he had never really asked in depth what Mark did for a living. 

Mark’s mouth turned up into one of those _oh-this-is-awkward-and-i-should-probably-say-something_ smiles, “Welcome to mi casa?”

Ethan stared at him with wide eyes, then burst out laughing, one of those explosive laughs where you just can’t help but wheeze, “Dude, _what_?” He giggled, “I probably shouldve asked before but I was kinda overwhelmed, what do you for a living? Your place is _nice_.” 

Mark looked uncomfortable with Ethan obviously noticing his wealth, it was something he never really got used to, “I uh- I stream stuff on Twitch. Like video games...stuff like that. I also have a Youtube channel, but that’s mostly just stream highlights nowadays.” He looked sheepish, as if the brunette was going to judge him for his occupation.

He couldn’t have been further from the truth, “Mark that’s so cool! Do you have like a camera set-up and stuff? Can I see your cameras!!” The younger man jumped excitedly, clearly overjoyed at this new information, “I’ve always loved cameras, Matt never let me talk about them, do you know a lot about them?” He babbled on and on, only stopping when he realized they were still standing in Mark’s long driveway. 

Mark smiled, “I can give you a tour, y’know since you’re gonna be living here. But we should probably get inside for that.” He chuckled a bit as Ethan sped up to walk beside him, smiling energetically as they approached the front door. 

The older man mentioned that his good friend Amy had dropped off his beloved dog Chica a few minutes ago, opting not to stay because she had an important shoot, “She’s a model, mostly street wear and sometimes formal shots for perfume commercials, but it’s pretty neat.”

Ethan listened intently, Mark had such an interesting life, how could he possibly fit into that? The dark haired man seemed to read his mind, though, “Dont worry, I know my friends will love you. My community will, too.”

The younger man blushed and leaned in to embrace his boyfriend. He wrapped his arms tightly and buried his face into the other man’s strong chest, listening to the _thump thump thump_ of his heart. This is where he belonged.

They entered the large foyer and were immediately bombarded with kisses from a fluffy golden retriever, who Ethan guessed was China, “Hey baby, whatcha doin? Gettin’ some love?” He cooed at the oversized baby, rubbing her excitedly when she rolled over.

Mark grumbled, “Jeez, Beeks, leave some for me.” He rolled his eyes playfully but kneeled down to pet her as well. Ethan giggled and leaned over the wiggling dog to peck Mark on the lips. 

He pulled away blushing furiously, they hadn’t really had the chance for little displays of affection yet, but Ethan was slowly becoming obsessed with Mark’s lips.

The dark haired man smiled bashfully and stood, laughing when Chica whined loudly, “We should probably start unpacking your stuff, I can show you your room and everything.” Ethan nodded and followed his partner on a short tour of the house.

After a few hours of unpacking and setting Ethan up in the guest room, Mark and him were sitting cross legged on the bed, worn out from their long day. 

Mark nudged him gently with his right foot, quickly grabbing the attention of the sleepy boy across from him, “I was thinking I’d do a vlog to update the channel...and I was wondering if you’d want to be in it.” He held his hands up at Ethan’s worried expression, “Don't worry, nothing too serious or personal, just kind of tell them what I’m doing so they don’t get worried.”

Ethan seemed to think for a minute, his boyfriend letting him sit silently and consider, after all, this was hardly a decision he could come back from. Eventually, though, he nodded and smiled brightly at the larger man, “Yeah, I mean I’ll eventually show up somewhere and they’ll get curious, why not just come right out the gates?”

Mark smiled, “Let’s get started then.”

¥•¥  
  


It had been two weeks since they uploaded their video, Mark introducing Ethan and simultaneously coming out as bisexual, stating that while he normally had a preference for women, he just couldn’t resist Ethan’s cute face. The brunette had blushed and stuttered through an introduction of himself, claiming he was looking for a job and was staying with Mark until he could find one. The video landed beautifully with the community, hardly any mean or hateful comments were posted and the ones that were were quickly corrected by numerous supportive members. Mark’s viewer count jumped dramatically within the first days of the video’s release, his channel gaining thousands of followers. Apparently, everyone loved Ethan, and Mark couldn’t be happier.

So there they were, Ethan leaning against the kitchen counter as Mark tended over bacon and eggs in a frying pan on the stove. The younger man was nursing his second cup of coffee and staring off distractedly, jumping violently when his boyfriend sent the silverware on the table with a gentle _clink_.

“You ok, love?” Mark had taken a liking to the pet name, much to Ethan’s embarrassment.

Ethan pulled himself out of his mind and focused on the man in front of him, “Yeah, just thinking... uh, my landlord called me yesterday. He told me to come get my stuff or he’d give it all away. I had already told him I was looking for a job but— I don’t know, Mark,” he took a deep breath, “I don’t know how I’ll find a job this fast.” His hazel eyes welled with tears, the overwhelming situation crashing down on him. 

“Don’t worry, baby. You can keep anything you want in the garage...and uh— if you wanted to...you could just stay here? With me? Like...for good?” The older man shuffled closer, taking his boyfriend’s slender hands in his own. 

Ethan looked up, “But...Mark, what if this doesn’t last?” Mark inhaled sharply, not even wanting to think of the possibility, but it was a valid concern.

“Eth, I would never just leave you hanging, I will always be here to help you, whether you want this,” he pulled the young boy flush against him, holding him in a hug and making him blush, “Or if you decide you want someone else. Let’s focus on what we _can_ do for now, we’ll go get your stuff later today.”

Ethan let out a watery giggle and pressed his cheek to his partner’s chest, “Fuck, I love you. It’s too soon but I do...I love you so much I can’t even go three seconds without thinking it.” He hesitated, “It scares me Mark. You could just leave anytime you want and I’d be left alone again, but this time so, _so_ in love.”

Mark crooned, “That would never happen, baby. Never. Let’s rent a moving truck then head over to your place, yeah?” The fact that Matthew’s actions were still hurting Ethan made him want to scream in anger, how could he hurt such a gentle human being?

Ethan nodded and went to pull his shoes on, seeing something shiny on the counter and scooping it up in his hands. Mark turned and saw what it was. The younger man dangled his car keys in front of him, “If you had a car why didn’t you take it to the airport?”

Mark laughed, “Last time I did that, someone broke the window and stole the steering wheel.” Ethan giggled loudly as they made their way to the car.

-

Ethan backed the moving truck into the parking lot of his apartment complex, making sure there was enough room to let the ramp down. He turned the vehicle off and hopped out, watching as Mark pulled his Tesla into an empty spot. Ethan smiled, the fancy car stood out painfully against the run down brick of the building. He was actually excited to see his neighbors, he had been rather close with them before the trip.

The pair rushed up the stairs, well, Ethan rushed Mark simply followed him at a reasonable pace, smiling fondly at the energetic man leaping up the stairs in front of him. Once they reached the fourth floor, Ethan abruptly opened the heavy metal door that separated the stairwell from the hallways.

They walked down to room...420? Mark snorted out a surprised laugh, “Do not tell me...you actually live in the apartment numbered _420_?”

Ethan giggled, “I _may_ have convinced the landlord to sell me this one instead of the other room he was gonna give me.”

Mark chuckled exasperatedly at his boyfriend and watched as the brunette’s nimble fingers unlocked the door. Ethan pushed the door open and stepped inside, clearly excited to get his stuff back. 

The younger man watched nervously as his counterpart surveyed the small living space, after all, the home is the most accurate physical representation of a person’s mind and personality.

While he hadn’t been in his apartment for quite some time now, he saw the blanket he had been wrapped in when Matt told him about the trip. He gazed bitterly at the soft fabric before looking back to Mark who he found watching him with an unreadable expression. He smiled then clapped, “Well! Let’s get the most important stuff, then Roger can throw the rest away or whatever he wants. I don’t really have much anyways.” 

Mark nodded and followed him as he explained what he wanted to keep and they began collecting all of his personal items. While they were in his room, Ethan heard a strange shuffling, but wrote it off as his mind playing tricks. It was probably just a rat in the wall or something.

After about two hours of loading things into the truck— it took much longer than it should because they had to lug it all down four flights of stairs— a knock sounded at the door.

Ethan padded over and pulled the faux gold knob, opening the doorway to reveal his closest neighbor, Shelly. They stood wearing their usual fashionably baggy clothes and flashed their famous crooked smile, “Was’ up, Maine?” They always held a toothpick in their mouth, something about a statement piece or whatever, Ethan had heard them explain it more than he’d ever need to in a lifetime. 

“Shelly!” He wrapped them in a tight hug, pulling away to smile, “Wondering where I’ve been?” He grinned smugly, knowing Shelly was by far the nosiest person he’d ever met.

“Yeah, you wish, I just wanted to see if I could snag anything for free,” Ethan knew they came over to say hi, and the years he’d known them made him certain of it. To his surprise, Shelly pulled him into a tight hug, “Dont pull that shit ever again, Maine. I was worried.” They pulled back and smiled wider glancing across the hall towards their apartment, “Uh, as great as it is to see you again,” they leaned in conspiringly, “I’ve got a hot chick waiting for me in my room, good luck with your new boyfriend though, he looks a lot better for you than that other one,” They grinned and a pretty girl stuck her head out of Shelly’s room, “I gotta go— dont you dare ditch me for that sexy rich douchebag.”

Ethan giggled, “You know I’ll visit you, and his name’s Mark.” He watched fondly as they waved and slunk back into their apartment, likely about to hit their bong and chill (and probably do other things Ethan was decent enough not to imagine) with their girlfriend. He also knew that Shelly didn’t expect he would leave without visiting, they just didn’t want to say how much they missed him most likely.

However, his mind was drawn back to the task at hand, after all, Mark was busy downstairs lugging Ethan’s prized Baby Yoda statue into the moving truck. The brunette stepped back into his apartment, shutting the door gently behind him and moving towards his room, he planned to pack his clothes into trash bags so they’d be easier to move to Mark’s house. When he crossed into the living room to go towards his bedroom, however, he was startled by an unsettling sight.

“Thought he’d never leave your side, bunny.” Matt sat lounging on the younger’s couch, feet propped on the glass coffee table his friend had got him. The other man’s usually carefully styled hair was now greasy and looked as though it hadn’t been brushed in weeks. His clothes were stained and Ethan could smell him from where he stood, a putrid mix of alcohol, sex, and sweat.

Ethan’s hands shook, his breathing audibly picking up, “What-” His voice caught in his throat, “What are you doing here?”

Matt chuckled but it held no warmth, “What do you mean, sunshine? I pay the rent for this goddamn apartment since you can’t keep a job,” He paused, smirking, “But I guess you don’t need one now that you have that rich boy downstairs.” Ethan swallowed, his brain rapidly trying to think of an escape route but he knew that if he ran Matthew would surely catch him. The man in question stood from his seat, stalking painfully slow towards the shaking boy in front of him, “Yeah...saw the Tesla and I knew...my little Ethan found a new man to leech off of, guess you got tired of me huh? Not rich enough for you?”

Ethan drew in a shaky breath, “You and I both know that I don’t date anyone for their money.” He couldn’t move as Matthew’s hand crept towards his face, though every nerve in him screamed to run, “Mark is good to me. He cares about me.” 

Matt scoffs, “Shut up with that bullshit. He only wants a young little boy toy to fuck until he finds out how annoying you are.” His thumb rested on Ethan’s cheekbone, lightly carresing it as he stared at the younger man with a strange look in his eye, “You ruined me, bunny. I tried to fuck other people to get you out of my head, but it just wasn’t the same. If you come back to me now, I’ll forgive you for everything you’ve done.” Matt’s voice was gentle in a way he never was with Ethan. If the younger man didn’t know better, he might have believed him. But Mark had showed him how wrong Matthew was. How fucked his idea of love really was.

“Shut the fuck up with the pet names, I’m not your bunny. And I’m not coming back to you, Mark showed me what it really means to love someone and have them love you back.” Ethan’s voice dripped with venom, teeth baring as he shoved at the hand still resting on his cheek.

He watched something snap in the taller man’s eyes. Something changed that hadn’t been there before. A sharp pain laced through his face as he stumbled to the side, his head hitting the wall painfully. It took him stupidly long to figure out Matt had hit him. He stared up at the figure looming over him. 

Matthew pulled him up from the ground by his collar, pushing him roughly against the wall, “You think-” Matt pulled him away from the wall only to slam him back into it, white spots springing into Ethan’s vision as his head was hit painfully once again, “You _really_ _think_ you get to talk to me like that? You’re stupider than I could have ever gave you credit for.”

Ethan wimpered as Matt hit him across the face once more and tears spilled down his cheeks. He hadn’t even seen Matt enter the apartment. Had he been here the whole time? Or had he somehow slipped passed both his and Mark’s senses? Shit. The movement he had heard earlier. That must’ve been him. Just as Matt pulled his hand back to land another blow, the front door opened and Mark stepped through, “Hey, love. I got Yoda set up real nice in the-” He stopped, taking in the scene in front of him.

Ethan blinked and the pressure was gone from his neck, he slumped to the ground, head pounding. He glanced to where Matt was and found him standing off in front of Mark. He had a quickly forming bruise on his cheek and looked beyond pissed. 

“Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?” Ethan had never heard Mark’s voice sound this scary. The usually calming bass turned vicious, the dark haired man seemingly looming over Matt though the latter stood a few inches taller. 

Matt touched the bruise on his face and smiled, “Well _damn_. Mark Fishcock? Thought you’d never leave that shitty little town. I guess some things change... but you still hit like a bitch.” There was some obvious history between the two, but Ethan’s head was pounding too much for him to dwell on it. He watched as Matt smiled and stood up straighter, maximizing their height difference. 

Mark chuckled but it was threatening and it sent a shiver down Ethan’s spine, “Yeah you still hang on to those stupid nicknames. But you’re still the douchebag that peaked in high school when he shit his pants at Austin’s party in twelfth grade.” Matt bristled at that— Mark had clearly hit a nerve— and lunged forward, trying to either tackle Mark or at least hit him, but Mark swiftly connected his fist into Matthew’s nose, a sickening crunch filling the room. Matt writhed on the ground, cursing violently.

“Don’t _ever_ come near Ethan again, or you’ll walk away with more than just a bloody nose.” Mark was seething, anger seeming to take over his entire being, in all honesty it was scary. Mark stepped closer, to do what Ethan didn’t know, but before he could land another blow, Matt quickly stood and scrambled out of the room, yelling slurs and profanities at the couple as he fled. The door slammed loudly and Mark was immediately at Ethan’s side.

“Are you ok? Do you need to go to the hospital? What did he do to you?” The older man’s hands were running frantically over Ethan, searching for any injuries.

The brunette reached out and grasped his boyfriend’s roaming hands, “Just a little headache, Mark.” He stood with the other man’s help, “Thank you.” He pulled Mark into a tight hug, quickly pulling away to press his mouth against the other’s.

Mark stood shocked for a second, but kissed him back deeply. He stepped back, eyes running over Ethan’s form, “Baby, I’m so _so_ sorry I wasn’t here when he got to you. Fuck, I’m literally the worst at this. I promise I’ll do better-” He pulled Ethan impossibly closer.

The younger man scoffed loudly and pushed at his chest, “Are you kidding me? You literally punched him! He’s never gonna come near me again, babe, trust me.” He paused, looking lovingly into his boyfriend’s dark eyes, “Thank you Mark.” They stood embracing each other for a while longer before Mark moved him to the couch.

“Just sit down and relax for a bit, I’m gonna pack up your clothes and then we’ll be ready to go.” He ran his hand through Ethan’s hair and walked towards the boy’s bedroom.

Ethan sighed, he normally would have insisted he helped Mark with the packing, but he was still rather shaken by the incident. Incident? Attack? He didn’t know what to call it really. Matt genuinely scared him now, he didn’t know what he should do. He sat quietly on the couch and listened to Mark stuffing his clothes into trash bags, his face throbbing softly where Matt had hit him.

There was a knock at the door and Ethan’s chest spiked with anxiety. Was Matt already back? Had he brought his shitty friends with him this time? His thoughts swirled nervously as he approached the door, pressing his eye to the small mirrored hole to see who was there.

Shelly stood in all their glory, looking beyond pissed. Ethan opened the door, “What’s wrong?”

They scoffed, “Shut the fuck up, Maine. You got a big ass bruise on your face after your ex runs out the apartment and _you_ ask _me_ what’s wrong?” They shook their head and pulled Ethan into a hug, “I called the cops on that fucker. They just left with him in the backseat.” They smiled their award winning smile and squeezed Ethan even tighter. 

“Shelly...I— Thank you,” he looked up at them with misty eyes, but then gave them a sly smirk, “You stopped fucking your girlfriend to call the cops? I thought I’d never see the day.”

Shelly grumbled and shoved him playfully, “God, this is what I get for helping you? Next time I’ll let the asshole go.” Ethan giggled and jumped slightly when the door was opened wider behind him.

Mark stood with a confused look on his face, “Do I need to beat you up too?”

Shelly laughed loudly and punched him lightly in the shoulder, “Pfft, as if. I called the cops on Maine here’s ex boyfriend, the crazy piece of shit. You’re welcome.” Mark grinned and held out his hand which Shelly gratefully accepted. 

“Maine is it?” Mark glanced at Ethan, amused, “Well, thank you...” He trailed off, realizing he hadn’t been introduced. 

“Shelly. And you must be Mark,” They smiled, but turned quickly when they heard a throat clear behind them. Shelly’s girlfriend stood in the doorway once again, dark eyes pinned on Shelly’s, “Well, that’s my cue, you two have fun.” They made their grand exit and Ethan turned to Mark.

“That’s Shelly. They’ve helped me out more times than I can count.” 

Mark smiled and led the way back into the apartment, “Well, I liked them well enough I guess,” Ethan giggled at that, “I finished packing your clothes if you want to take them downstairs and get them into the truck.”

Ethan nodded, following Mark into the bedroom and grabbing two of the four bags. They loaded them up and drove back to Mark’s house, Ethan’s mind preoccupied the whole time by the hot pulsing on his cheek.

  
They got home and unpacked Ethan’s things, letting Ethan’s landlord, Roger, know that everything left was now free reign. Ethan was just setting his Baby Yoda statue next to his nightstand in the guest room when he heard a soft knock on the door, followed by small clicking noises. The brunette turned and saw Mark standing in the doorway, Chica already hopping on the bed behind him and rolling over for pets, “Can I come in?”

Ethan nodded and scooted over to make room for the older man. He watched as Mark settled on the soft comforter, sitting close enough to take both of Ethan’s hands in his larger ones. He looked...sad. The older man met his partner’s eyes, “Do you want to talk about earlier? With...him?”

Ethan’s gaze softened, “You can say his name, Mark, he’s not Voldemort,” this got a small smile out of the other man, “And if you feel bad, or like you didn’t do enough, I can tell you right now that you did more than I could have ever expected. You stopped me from getting hurt.” He maneuvered himself close to Mark, nearly sitting on top of him, but for some reason he knew the other man needed to be close right now.

The dark haired man sighed, “But I didn’t..he still hit you and— I just...I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened to you while I was- fucking buckling a Yoda statue into the passenger seat of a van.” Ethan smiled and rested his head on Mark’s shoulder as he continued, “When I walked in you were—” he sniffled and Ethan pulled back quickly, startled by the sudden tears, “You just _fell_ on the ground, Eth. And he was— he was just standing over you... I didn’t know if you were awake or not...I didn’t know what he had done.” He squeezed Ethan into a hug, gripping him almost painfully.

Ethan’s heart felt tight and sore, he hadn’t realized what the scene would look like when the older man walked in. Probably a lot worse than it was, “Baby, I’m sorry I scared you—”

Mark quickly cut him off, “It wasn’t your fault, Ethan. It was all his and I’m not trying to bring it up to complain, it’s just— I wanted you to know that I love you. So much. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt...”

Ethan sniffled, his own wave of tears hitting him, “Don't worry, I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.” 

They held each other for a while after that, they actually seemed to do that a lot these days. And eventually they decided to just lay in bed and enjoy each other’s company, Chica claiming half the bed as her own and snoring away. Ethan, curled into Mark’s chest and listening to the rumble of the sleeping puppy at his feet, finally felt the stress lift off his shoulders. He was safe. He was home.

¥•¥  
  


A few weeks later, Ethan had appeared in numerous vlog updates and even some gaming videos. He started sleeping in Mark’s room instead of the guest room, he showed up in streams when he brought Mark snacks and started painting to pass the time by. Turns out, he’s pretty good and sells prints online. The fans of Mark’s channel love him and constantly ask about his well-being, though they don’t even know about Korea. 

Today, Mark is doing one of his longer streams, playing a new game— Among Us— with his friends and yelling a lot. Ethan sits on the couch downstairs watching the stream and working on his newest painting: a portrait of Mark and Chica smiling at the camera. It was big and it was taking him forever to make but he was happy with it so far. 

A few hours into the stream, Mark excused himself to go to the bathroom and ran downstairs, “Hey babe, sorry the stream is so long— shit, that looks great!” He stopped his speed walk to the kitchen to stare at Ethan’s work before continuing quickly to refill his water bottle.

Ethan smiled, “Thanks, I’m having trouble getting Chica to stop trying to lick the paint,” Mark walked back from the kitchen and leaned over the couch to kiss Ethan’s cheek.

“Why don’t you come sit with me while I play? I can show you how it works and the fans would love it.” Ethan knew Mark only wanted to spend time with him but refused to admit it, so he eagerly said yes and followed him back upstairs.

Mark unplugged his headphones and loud voices came from the computer, “I’m baack,” the older man sang, “And guess who I brought with me?” A chorus of voices piped up and said their hello’s, the chat box exploding with new messages.

Ethan smiled, “Hey, guys.” He spent the rest of his night watching colorful characters run around and kill each other, Mark being particularly loud. He rested his head on Mark’s shoulder— causing the chat to blow up— and kissed his temple. 

///

That night, as he lay in bed with Mark snoring and Chica nearly suffocating him with her furry body, he felt a few tears leak onto his pillow. The sheer amount of love he felt was overflowing, he couldn’t have asked for a happier outcome. Curling up to his partner’s side, he closed his eyes, truly able to let everything from the past go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they lived happily ever after <3
> 
> also yes i actually spent time looking up when they would arrive in the us and turns out it would be the exact time they left korea!! i thought that was cool but anyways!!! 
> 
> thank you all for sticking with me through this fic, it’s been a real journey for me and i’ve learned a lot. I have tons of ideas piled up and i’m gonna get to work on Green Is Not Your Color asap!! 
> 
> i love you all so much!! thank you for reading til the end <33


End file.
